About a year ago I was introduced to the relatively “new” world of text messaging.
If you are not familiar with this term, “texting” refers to sending a message from your mobile phone or personal wireless assistant (Blackberry, Palm Pilot, etc) to another similar device. Numbers 2 through 9 on keypads have corresponding alphabetic characters, and by spelling out words on the keypad, you can send a message from one cell phone to another.
Teenagers and young adults are probably the most frequent users of SMS (Short Message Service), and you have no doubt seen them standing around feverishly punching characters on their phones.
Some of the most common symbols used in texting are the ampersand (&) for the word “and,” and the letter “R” for “are,” The number 4 for is used for “for.” You get the picture.
Other commonly used abbreviations are:
OMG Oh my gosh!
GF Girlfriend
G2G Got to Go
PCM Please call me
JK Just kidding
U You
TY Thank You
TTYL Talk to you later
And one of my personal favorites, BFF ... best friends forever.
My niece from Maryland sent me a text that included “LOL.” I was lost on that one. Consultation with my children defined it as “laugh out loud.” Kind of like using a symbol for a happy face, I guess.
I have known about texting capabilities for a while but only recently started using them myself. And I must say I have found it to be very useful.
I was recently in Maryland visiting my sister Carroll, and we had an hour ride on the Metro into the District. With time on our side, I showed her how to text. She was elated. And so are her adult children. They live with driving distance of each other and get together frequently. Texting helps them plan get-togethers logistically without the interruption of ringing telephones.
There are times when I need my dependable husband Tommy but know he is in a meeting and don’t want to bother him. So I will send him a text message that might say: “Can you pls pick up RX at CVS?” and he responds at his earliest convenience. Very handy.
My son John works during the day so I won’t call him. But if I need to get in touch with him, I’ll send a text saying “Pls call” and he does so at his convenience. Or I’ll text: “Can U come for dinner?” and he likewise responds when he has time.
Another fun use son John introduced me to is “googling” the name of a business or a person to get their address and/or phone number, eliminating fees incurred with dialing 411.
This is how it is done: Texts are sent to phone numbers, so to access Google, in the “send” (or call) section you type in the letters: GOOGLE (or numbers 466453). You then type in the name of the person, business, or whatever you are searching for,
SEPARATED BY A COMMA, the city, SEPARATED BY A COMMA, and the state and hit “send.”
Of paramount importance to making the Google “directory assistance” work is using the comma between fields (name, city, and state). And commas are not always easy to find on your phone. So before you “google,” learn where your comma is.
You can likewise google “Mexican restaurants, Washington, D.C. ” or even, “Mexican Restaurants, 37130” using a zip code and have information back within literally seconds. You can also google zip codes to find current activities.
I googled “Murfreesboro Post, 37130” and within (literally) seven seconds had the address and phone number of the Post sent to me. You can likewise “google” the name of a person in a city and have the address and phone number sent to you; but be warned; since many people have only cell phones and not land lines these days not all persons are available.
Another way to retrieve a free phone number and address from Google is by dialing1-800-Goog-411 (or 1-800-466-4411) and follow the prompts. And voila...your answer in SECONDS!
Before you get hooked on texting, make sure it is included in your monthly cell phone fee. Most cell phones have “texting” as part of the package, but not all do. In most cases the charge is nominal; I think less than $5 a month. In my opinion, the versatility made it well worth the price.
One last fun use of mobile phones is sending photos cross-country or even within town.
When I was in Knoxville son John wanted me to get him a particular baseball cap with a University of Tennessee logo, so I sent him a photo of it for verification. Very handy.
Pictures of newborns can be sent around the world from cell phones in seconds.
If you haven’t tried texting or taking photos yet, sit down with your phone and its manual (oftentimes a CD) and learn it. It may facilitate life as it has done for me. And you’ll be open to a world of fun.
‘Til next week.
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