An Introduction to Text Messaging
Why Text?
Text messaging is a quick way to stay in touch with people for personal or business purposes. With text messaging, you can chat with a partner by typing on the keyboard and reading what they write to you on the screen. Many text messaging products can work with cell phone text messaging (aka SMS or Short Messaging Service) so you can chat with people who aren't in front of their computer. So, why not just pick up the phone and talk?
It's faster than e-mail and phone calls. And you don't have to pay anything to text. If you need to chat with someone briefly or ask a quick question, it's much less intrusive than calling someone. As with most developing technologies, several types of text messaging are available and each one is incompatible with the others. But don't let that keep you from trying it out. The main text messaging products are ICQ (www.icq.com), MSN Messenger (www.msn.com), AIM (www.aim.com), and Yahoo Messenger (www.yahoo.com).
btw (By the Way...)
Each one is free and simple to download, install, and sign up. You can locate your "buddies" by searching in an online directory by their screen name, e-mail address, name, or telephone number. Once you get the hang of it, text messaging can be extremely addictive. As you continue to use text messaging, you will find yourself learning to abbreviate words and sentences. When you leave an online chat, you might say BRB (Be Right Back), I'm afk (away from the keyboard), or TTYL (Talk to You Later). See glossary below.
Some text messaging products are beginning to offer voice and video chat. The future of digital communication is an integrated product, since voice, video, interactive text messaging, and e-mail are all effective means of communication. In the future, you will be able to switch between text, voice, and video with ease. Until then, we will continue to use different methods for different communication needs :-(
Glossary
:-) Smiley face. Means that someone is happy
;-) Smiley face with wink.
:-( If someone sends you this in an e-mail, they're probably not having a good day
BTW - By the Way
FYI - For Your Information
FWIW - For What It's Worth
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion (or IMO) TIA - Thanks in Advance
WRT - With Respect To
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
ROTFL - Rolling on the Floor Laughing
AFK - Away From Keyboard
TTYL - Talk To You Later
CYA - See You Later
About The Author
Deryck Richards is the founder and managing partner of Desktronix. With an extensive educational background in computer information systems, Deryck currently manages hosting and data center operations for Desktronix. He also provides system administration and technical support directly to small businesses as he has since 2000. His areas of expertise include networking, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems and he is the author of The Guide to Technology for Small Business. For more information on Desktronix, visit www.desktronix.com.
Free SMS Resources:
Mobile Phones And Their Sms Lead To Dating Metamorphosis
Unless you've been unaware of the developments in the real world, without a mobile device, you would in all likelihood have heard the term SMS. It is also referrred to as "texting." It has become the rage of the 21st century as mobile device users are constantly trying to find new things to do with their mobiles. Today we live in a speeding world and more and more people are turning to texting as a means of relating to each other. The dating world is no exception. With the onslaught of online daters, and long distance romances rsing, SMS or texting has just become a very convenient way of living in this global world. Couple texting and SMS with emails and IM, you don't even need to actually speak to anyone anymore to conduct a love affair o...
TextMagic's New Mobile Service Adds Some Magic to Business SMS
Online SMS service from TextMagic lets businesses contact customers via their mobile quickly and cheaply.
Students Can Utilize Text Messaging to Learn SAT and ACT Vocabulary Words on Their Cell Phone
TexTutor.com introduces a new, one-of a kind service that allows students to receive text messages containing vocabulary definitions, sample sentences, and quizzes on the student?s cell phone. Students can also access ongoing progress reports and have the reports e-mailed to parents and teachers.
How to Catch Your Cheating Spouse With Text Messages
It's no secret that the many recent advances in technology have made it much easier to keep track of what people are doing on a daily basis, whether they want us to or not But, this also allows us to protect ourselves in the unfortunate event our spouse is being unfaithful and having an affair especially when it comes to cell phones and text messages
Plumbers Fastest at SMS Response -- BANGitUP.com Service Cracks the 3-minute Find a Tradesman Milestone
Imagine taking just a few minutes to find a tradesman interested in your job. Across Australia over 17,000 BANGitUP.com customers have now achieved what was considered impossible - effortlessly finding tradesmen interested in your job and in the process saving hours of frustration.
Whence Does The SMS Come?
SMS is a communication protocol originally designed for short message communications between mobile phones It has now greatly evolved not only in the aspect of the service?s support, but also in the aspect of utilizing the medium
Grapevine Star Entertainment & Johnny Wimbrey Joins Forces with Los Angeles Based SMS Productions, Tom Sarnoff, Dick Mann and Milt Suchin and Will Att
Johnny Wimbrey, working with Grapevine Star Entertainment, has joined forces with SMS Productions a Los Angeles based creative, production, and management group, to guide Johnny Wimbrey in his expansion from author and internationally known motivational speaker into film, television, and other entertainment forms.
SMS-Oncology Joins TrialStat's CROFirst Program
Netherlands-based Contract Research Organization (CRO) deploys ClinicalAnalytics 4.0 for oncology registry study.
UpSNAP: Good Tidings We Bring Through Text Messaging
Text message your Christmas greetings and send Santa a text with UpSNAP.
LiquidNet Ltd and Netcom Consulting Inc Join Forces for a Mobile SMS Marketing Venture
Web host LiquidNet Ltd. has teamed up with Netcom Consulting, Inc. to offer its webmasters the opportunity to enter the mobile text message marketing field via the recently launched MobileSMSMarketing.com service.
What is SMS?
What is SMS?SMS, also known as short messaging service, is the rage in Europe and parts of Asia. Gradually SMS is gaining momentum in the US as a low cost messaging solution.
PRESS ALERT/ MobileSphere Launches 'Text Your Sweetheart Day' with Unlimited Valentine's Day SMS Messaging on February 14, 2007
MobileSphere, a leading-edge provider of global communications solutions, today announced the launch of the first Text Your Sweetheart Day, to be held online at http://www.joopz.com on Valentine's Day, Wednesday, February 14, 2007. Joopz(TM) "web texting" enables two-way text messaging from the Web to any mobile phone in the U.S. and Canada and will be available on an unlimited basis for free all day.
NetBambino.com Makes Text Messaging Easier
"Thumbs" everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.
SMS for the Estate Agent - Targeted Marketing Tool, or Legal Minefield?
Imagine having at your disposal a means to immediately inform house buyers that you have just the property they are looking for. Potential buyers have given their details and their preferences - imagine that you can send them this information no matter where they are or what they are doing, they can read it at a time that's convenient and can act accordingly in their own time.
Musician Dello Joins Up With SMS.ac To Earn Money in the Mobile Economy
Musical recording artist Dello has found a unique way to earn substantial revenue off of his music utilizing the San Diego based company, SMS.ac. By uploading his music on SMS.ac, Dello is generating global exposure from the company's 50 million member base while capitalizing on the pay-per-use business model.