Cell Phone Text Messenging, I don't get it.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

I text because sometimes I just can't call someone. Sitting in class, a meeting, at work, etc. I can't pick up my phone and call but I can text. My husband can't talk on his phone at work. If I really need to tell him something I can text him. It's just easier sometimes. Plus, I have unlimited text messaging. Yeah, I pay a little extra each month for that service but it's cheaper than the per minute rate if I were calling all those people. I usually have around 300 or more texts a month.

BTW, Pedro, you kick @ss!

Ha, shouldn't you by paying attention in class and not fooling around with your cell phone. Phone companies always have been a ripoff in this country, back in the old days, used operators, but they were replaced by a stepping relay, those cost 150 bucks each, even way back when and one was required for each digit you dialed with that pulse. Hate to have a job where I could be replaced by a relay. Anyway, those expensive relays that also had a short life and were expensive to maintain was replaced by all solid state touch tone at a far more economical cost and essentially had unlimited life. So while the phone companies were saving billions, they increased the rates with touch tone! Cellular phones are far cheaper than land lines as I already pointed out, trillions cheaper, but yet the rates are drastically higher. Another ripoff. And why federal excise tax, FCC charges, sales tax, etc., that drives up your bill another 20-25 bucks per month? If used in an emergency or a business, phones are not a luxury. Today, at today's prices, a 19 cent integrate circuit replaces over a thousand dollars worth of relays at 40 year old prices for telephone switching circuits.

Even with the drastic price increases in electrical energy that is also criminal as 99% of this energy is produced domestically and doesn't have a damn thing to do with OPEC, our cellular phone bill, using practically no energy at all is costing 2-3 times as much as our electrical bill. Least you are getting something for your electrical bill, think about walking out to a stream and beating your clothes on a rock as opposed to pushing a button.

Did try those prepaid plan phones, worthless around here, they attempt to piggyback on other services and are using only about 25% of that service, so can't even spend a quarter to make a call if you are a couple of bucks away and receive no signal. HDTV was never intended to give us a clearer TV picture, is intended to free up about 1GHz of airway space, so we can even get screwed with more electronic junk. We are living without it now, but will be a necessity.

In Venezuela, cell phones are dirt cheap like the price of gas at 11 cents per gallon, of course, you don't have any freedom, but we are also losing that here too while being screwed on both gas and cell phone service.

Regarding the bolded part. I suppose if I was actually struggling in my class I should pay more attention. Considering I've made over 100 on every single test I've taken that's a moot point. But thanks for your opinion on the matter anyway.

Edited October 7, 2008 by Bootylicious

[PlatyPius 5]

...but it also probably means I've gotta call your customer service department and

explain why it makes since for them to retain a 7 year loyal customer and why I should get it for free or at the same price that a new customer can buy it for...not for $400

bucks. I hate having to do that every couple of years...they should just let me tick off whatever new phone I want for free every 2 years.

I'm paying a little over $200 every month...they should be nice to me

I take it you're not with AT&T then. I DO get a new, free phone every 2 years. Although this time I DID spend $78.78 to upgrade to a Samsung Blackjack II....

[Ling Ling 22]

I text because sometimes I just can't call someone. Sitting in class, a meeting, at work, etc. I can't pick up my phone and call but I can text. My husband can't talk on his phone at work. If I really need to tell him something I can text him. It's just easier sometimes. Plus, I have unlimited text messaging. Yeah, I pay a little extra each month for that service but it's cheaper than the per minute rate if I were calling all those people. I usually have around 300 or more texts a month.

BTW, Pedro, you kick @ss!

Ha, shouldn't you by paying attention in class and not fooling around with your cell phone. Phone companies always have been a ripoff in this country, back in the old days, used operators, but they were replaced by a stepping relay, those cost 150 bucks each, even way back when and one was required for each digit you dialed with that pulse. Hate to have a job where I could be replaced by a relay. Anyway, those expensive relays that also had a short life and were expensive to maintain was replaced by all solid state touch tone at a far more economical cost and essentially had unlimited life. So while the phone companies were saving billions, they increased the rates with touch tone! Cellular phones are far cheaper than land lines as I already pointed out, trillions cheaper, but yet the rates are drastically higher. Another ripoff. And why federal excise tax, FCC charges, sales tax, etc., that drives up your bill another 20-25 bucks per month? If used in an emergency or a business, phones are not a luxury. Today, at today's prices, a 19 cent integrate circuit replaces over a thousand dollars worth of relays at 40 year old prices for telephone switching circuits.

Even with the drastic price increases in electrical energy that is also criminal as 99% of this energy is produced domestically and doesn't have a damn thing to do with OPEC, our cellular phone bill, using practically no energy at all is costing 2-3 times as much as our electrical bill. Least you are getting something for your electrical bill, think about walking out to a stream and beating your clothes on a rock as opposed to pushing a button.

Did try those prepaid plan phones, worthless around here, they attempt to piggyback on other services and are using only about 25% of that service, so can't even spend a quarter to make a call if you are a couple of bucks away and receive no signal. HDTV was never intended to give us a clearer TV picture, is intended to free up about 1GHz of airway space, so we can even get screwed with more electronic junk. We are living without it now, but will be a necessity.

In Venezuela, cell phones are dirt cheap like the price of gas at 11 cents per gallon, of course, you don't have any freedom, but we are also losing that here too while being screwed on both gas and cell phone service.

Regarding the bolded part. I suppose if I was actually struggling in my class I should pay more attention. Considering I've made over 100 on every single test I've taken that's a moot point. But thanks for your opinion on the matter anyway.

Of course you made 100 on every test...somebody was texting you the answers

Just kidding...but it is becoming an issue in schools...and at work.

You might think the guy in the meeting next to you is smart....he's just using Google.

[PlatyPius 5]

You might think the guy in the meeting next to you is smart....he's just using Google.

By some definitions, that IS smart. He was creative and quick to use available resources.

[Ling Ling 22]

...but it also probably means I've gotta call your customer service department and

explain why it makes since for them to retain a 7 year loyal customer and why I should get it for free or at the same price that a new customer can buy it for...not for $400

bucks. I hate having to do that every couple of years...they should just let me tick off whatever new phone I want for free every 2 years.

I'm paying a little over $200 every month...they should be nice to me

I take it you're not with AT&T then. I DO get a new, free phone every 2 years. Although this time I DID spend $78.78 to upgrade to a Samsung Blackjack II....

Ed Zachery...

Back in the old days (can't even remember the name of the carrier) but they sent out a coupon for a new phone every YEAR.

I don't understand why all the carriers don't get it. Kodak got it....give away the phone, they'll come back for film.

Plus, with number portability...it's sometimes cheaper to break a contract and get a new phone from a competitor, than to buy the same phone from your existing carrier.

Fools they are.

You might think the guy in the meeting next to you is smart....he's just using Google.

By some definitions, that IS smart. He was creative and quick to use available resources.

Nope...beyond smart....BRILLIANT.

When I was in the software industry we'd say,

"Good developers re-use code....great developers steal it".

[PlatyPius 5]

Nope...beyond smart....BRILLIANT.

When I was in the software industry we'd say,

"Good developers re-use code....great developers steal it".

Aye. I think I've written maybe 20 lines of PHP myself. The rest is stolen. LOL!

[IAMX 3,055]

Personally I wouldn't waste any money extra on limited text messaging and ridiculous $0.10/$0.25 text costs.

Given the same data over cellular networks that goes into voice and internet browsing goes into texting, your face is getting creamed on by cell networks by paying these outlandish costs -- i.e. it's roughly $6,000 to download a song at 4MB with the equivalent per-byte cost of 4MB of texting. In all likelihood, if you used, say, an iPhone, you'd pass 4MB in browsing the internet in a few minutes. As akdiver mentioned, they are this price because a lot of people pay it, for some reason. People love getting screwed.

The only way I'd go with a texting plan is if it came with UNLIMITED. And usually the reasonable ones hover at an additional $5/$10 a month. And by unlimited that means unlimited texts to any cell phone, not 5 people, not just people on the same network.

Edited October 7, 2008 by SRVT

[akdiver 3]

That's like complaining about buying a 6 oz bottle of paprika and not getting the 500 ton container full "per ounce" price. When you send large amounts of data, or data through less convenient means, you're going to pay a lot less than if you send it one text message at a time - even if it is going across the same network. No rocket science there.

Hell, it's a lot cheaper to send 600TB via the postal service than it is to send it over the network, but network users are not complaining that they're not getting postal service rates.

As for unlimited plans... it's a lot cheaper for me to send 10 messages a month at 10 cents each individual rate than it is for me to sent 10 messages a month on the $10 unlimited message plan....

Edited October 7, 2008 by akdiver

[Scott & Lai 12]

Kodak got it....give away the phone, they'll come back for film.

phones use film??

[Ling Ling 22]

Kodak got it....give away the phone, they'll come back for film.

phones use film??

Are you the last kid on the block to get the free Kodak cellphone that uses film?

OMG, where have you been?

[Ling Ling 22]

That's like complaining about buying a 6 oz bottle of paprika and not getting the 500 ton container full "per ounce" price. When you send large amounts of data, or data through less convenient means, you're going to pay a lot less than if you send it one text message at a time - even if it is going across the same network. No rocket science there.

Hell, it's a lot cheaper to send 600TB via the postal service than it is to send it over the network, but network users are not complaining that they're not getting postal service rates.

As for unlimited plans... it's a lot cheaper for me to send 10 messages a month at 10 cents each individual rate than it is for me to sent 10 messages a month on the $10 unlimited message plan....

akdiver...are you a monk?

You don't use your cellphone very much, you don't send text messages very much...please tell me you drink, smoke, or at least have sex (with another person) B)

I probably sent 10 text messages when I went to the toilet.

WOW, you must save a lot of money....for real.

[IAMX 3,055]

That's like complaining about buying a 6 oz bottle of paprika and not getting the 500 ton container full "per ounce" price. When you send large amounts of data, or data through less convenient means, you're going to pay a lot less than if you send it one text message at a time - even if it is going across the same network. No rocket science there.

Er, you were right with the if-people-pay-for-it rationale, which is certainly justifiable but no more smart on the consumer's end. This one makes no sense. You're causing far less stress on the cell network's data pipe by sending a text message than an equivalent $40/mo data plan (browsing) that can consume hundreds of MB to GBs of data. It's not a matter of convenience, it's entirely a matter of "people are going to pay for it". Eventually prices will become more reasonable. Hell, I get unlimited texts with Metro, although, the only reason I use them now is because of their very nice international rates to Greece. If unlimited texts was in demand and few people paid for these texts, cell companies would, logically, use similar unlimited plans.

There are rare occurrences now where you can find one of those plans, like through Verizon, or Sprint, or Cingular. Seems like a once-in-a-blue-moon thing. My ex had managed to grab one.

Edited October 7, 2008 by SRVT

[chri'stina 190]

We don't have a text plan(we are too cheap, and don't need it), so it's per text cost for us. So I rarely text. I have had to tell my friends to stop texting me all the time. Just because they have a plan doesn't mean I do, and I have to pay when I get their msgs. Yet some still send some, messages they could easily just email me, which really annoys me! I already told you, thanks for costing me another 10 or 15 cents.

[Ling Ling 22]

Here's a little gift from me to all my VJ family.

Free directory assistance....you still pay your minute usage, but not the annoying 411 fee.

1-800-GOOG-411

I put it in my phone under speed dial for the #4 button.

Gives you locations, phone numbers and ...wait for it....wait for it....will text the info to your phone IF YOU WANT.

N Joy

[anya-D 8]

I'm using my old beat up phone since 2005. It's been under water for few minutes, droped so many times and it's still work fine. I can change to a new phone but I dont want a phone that I have to take care like a baby. So I think i'll keep using this until it dies.. it's the old flip up - cheapest phone.

I dont text - may be average 10/ year? And I only use about 50 minutes or less per month since I talked to my husband and it's free and hardly call anybody else... But we have the biggest plan since Bram uses a lot of phone in his business. we also dont have land line so it works for us. we balance each other usage out

But I still dont know why phone company have to charge INCOMING call and text??