Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with texting

Feasibility of a ridiculous texting prank?

Askiba — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:28:24 -0800

What is the potential risk, and legality, of my idea for a prank: sending the entirety of Romeo and Juliet in text messages to a friend. The Prank Idea: using my iPhone I managed to copy the entirety of Romeo and Juliet into a text message. In total, this encompasses around 920 160char text messages. (it might be removing something at the end- no big deal, though). Send them all to a friend early in the morning.

The Disclaimer: I understand that this is a very stupid prank. I probably won't do it until I can be sure I would come to no nasty trouble, nor anyone else for that matter. I just want to know- if I did, how bad of an idea would this be? Would I get disconnected? Fined? Give me all the details.

The Etc.:
-I'd be sending over 900 messages in sequence over AT&T's network. Sounds terrifying already.
-I have unlimited texting.

My phone is secretly texting people without my input!

uk_giffo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:51:44 -0800

My mobile phone seems to have sent a text message to my girlfriend without my knowledge. I don't understand how. More details inside. This afternoon, I was walking through a park here in Washington when I got a message from my girlfriend saying "Thanks?". I replied: "What?", wondering what she was referring to. She then sent a message back stating: "You sent me a text 5 mins ago?". I hadn't - my phone had been in my pocket for the previous hour - yet when I checked the previous message it showed that I'd sent one saying "How are you?I love you!Thanks" to her five minutes beforehand. Note the lack of a space between phrases; I've never typed a message like that.

My first thought was that it had been a "pocket text" - that somehow the cellphone had rubbed against something else in my pocket and sent a text to her. But I think the keypad was locked. Then I tried to work out how such phrases could have been entered in a text message and thought it must be some kind of "insert quick phrase" feature on the phone. But when I look closer at that feature and how it works it would have been highly unlikely that the phone could have navigated to it as it's quite convoluted to get to and, besides, the store of saved "quick phrases" is empty (it allows you to add some).

So I am baffled, though quite relieved it wasn't a more inappropriate message to someone else like my boss. Does anyone have any idea at all what might have happened? Is there some way to "spoof" a text message from a phone? Are these phones hackable? Could it have been something to do with Bluetooth (though I have never turned it on to the best of my knowledge)? Could someone have hacked my voicemail account and done something? My Verizon account on the website perhaps - can you send texts from there as if it's coming from the phone?

It's a Samsung U450 and is on Verizon Wireless. Other pertinent details: my girlfriend's name begins with K so she doesn't appear at the top of my contacts list and therefore wouldn't (I'd have thought) been the default recipient of a random pocket text - that'd surely be Adam. She's also on Verizon Wireless here.

I am really puzzled by this, and I understand technology fairly well, so if anyone can offer any insights I'd be very grateful.

Why can't I send a text to Canada?

Flying Squirrel — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:38:32 -0800

Why won't this text message go through? (Australian to Canadian phone.) I have an Australian cell phone (Vodafone prepay.) I have been trying to text my mum in Canada. She has a Virgin prepay cellphone and her number is 519615XXXX. I have tried texting +1519615XXXX. I have also tried 00111519615XXXX. I keep getting failed message alerts.

I have been able to RECEIVE a text from my mum, but I can't reply. I can successfully text friends in the UK and in New Zealand.

I can call the number, just not text it.

I asked for help at a Vodafone store and they weren't able to help me.

Does anyone know why my texts are not going through and if there is any solution?

Would appreciate any ideas, thanks!!

Free SMS to Email

magnoliasouth — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:18:51 -0800

How can I send a SMS to an email address for free? Note: I am NOT looking for Email to SMS, nor Voice to Email/SMS, but instead SMS to email.

I've searched for other answers and one thread did pop up. However there was never a decent answer for it.

I'm looking for something similar to this service.The only reason I'm wary of that one is that I don't want to use something that may send infinite spam. In other words, one that probably has a decent reputation. Not to mention having to type the email address every single time!

Hacks like work arounds will be fine. If I can even email myself via SMS I can create a filter while I'm gone to email it to my family.

Bonus: If there is a way to automatically email myself copies then that would be icing on the cake. I have limited storage on my phone.

The reason I need it is we're going to be traveling and I want a way to email my family where we are at any given moment. I don't want to incur charges on my family's cell phone bills, so direct text messaging is out.

Any ideas at all?

Lower my monthly bill...

likeapen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:49:37 -0800

I plan on upgrading to a Blackberry Curve with Verizon and going on their emailing and messaging plan (450 min unlimited). On their website it comes to $99.99 an month. I'm an avid texter, want voice, be able to email, go online and use vzn navigator. I want to lower that monthly bill... What can I disable (that I'll be charged for) on the Blackberry so I won't have to pay $100 a month?

Which prepaid cell company to use?

reenum — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:49:26 -0800

PrepaidCellFilter: Two questions about prepaid cell plans: 1. Can I use a phone I buy off eBay with one of these plans, or is it essential to use the phones provided by the carrier? 2. If I'm mostly interested in texting, which prepaid cell provider would be the best for me? I'm thinking of ditching my Sprint contract and switching to a prepaid carrier. I only use the cell to call people if there is an emergency and little else.

However, I do like texting and would like to try and choose a plan that allows unlimited or a high number of texts at a reasonable price.

Also, I'd like to have a nicer phone with T9 rather than the cheapo Nokia phones some of these carriers give you.

So, Hive Mind, what say you?

Texting-talking etiquitte? Email ADD?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:42:07 -0800

A friend of mine constantly texts and checks email on her phone when we're out together, which I find irksome. Am I right to think this is discourteous? Or am I behind the times? One of my friends, Betsy, uses her Blackberry to keep up with work emails and scheduling, but her job does not require her to be available by phone 24/7. When we're out at happy hour after work, or having a coffee on the weekend, or playing board games at home -- non-work social time that we've planned together -- Betsy will set her phone on the table between us and check it every few minutes or so for new emails and texts. When she gets one, she'll invariably respond, usually by typing away at the table during the course of the conversation.

This bothers me for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. I think it has to do with a general feeling that face-to-face conversation shouldn't have to compete for attention with emails. I feel slighted when she checks out of the group conversation in order to text, especially when it's clear she's carrying on some sort of conversation via text while ignoring the one that's happening right in front of her.

I usually leave my phone in my bag when I'm enjoying social activities with my friends. Is it weird to be annoyed by Betsy's behavior? I don't want to bring it up with her if I'm completely in the minority on this one. If my irritation is valid, what should I do about it? What's a polite way to raise the issue next time it happens?

In case it's relevant, we're both in our mid-twenties. This happens in one-on-one situations as well as in groups. The emails/texts are occasionally work-related, though generally not of high importance. Thanks for your insights!

romance fire extinguisher

theobromine_ady — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:44:27 -0800

I am a romance sparks fire extinguisher. HELP! (and dear gods did this one get out-of-control long) Again it seems I can douse what appears to be even the hottest sparks of romance directed towards me without any effort whatsoever.
I am a fire extinguisher.

I am a college teacher and found out recently, at the end of a long (7 months) program, from a student (to whom I had been very attracted but would never have pursued) that he has been attracted to me since the very beginning of the program last summer.
It was in my office, after turning in a final project, that the flirting which was always coming from him (and deflected consciously by me: hugs, class outings, etc. I never accepted) amped up and was unmistakable.
We began regular communication that started out without intention, turned to discussion of high standards (we share them), expectations, singleness and even politics (we are polar opposites).
He is younger but very mature with excellent ethics and a lot of integrity. I am younger than my calendar years in both attitude and appearance (not childish but youthful if you'll allow a difference).
He said to me, "I certainly don't see any reason why I wouldn't have a chance with you."
well I didn't see any reason either and suggested that the only way he would know would be to take one.
I went out of town the next weekend for a conference and the flirtexting began. It got flirtier and flirtier. There were also phone conversations as the next weeks progressed but they weren't nearly as flirty as the texts. There was no question that this would be leading to something.
Oh, we discussed at length that this wasn't going to be a jump-in-the-sack kind of progression. His attitude towards the in-the-same-room behavior was chivalrous and unexpected.
This guy surprised me at every turn.

We tried for a couple of weeks to go out but either he got called into work (overnights) or something happened in my schedule. But it wasn't a deterrent, just an exercise in patience.

So, I pull the pin.

A most heinous event happened at work. A literal bomb was placed in my hand which involved CYFD, police reports, rifts in the office, total distrust of coworkers (it was/is BAD). On one of the nights following a very, very painful day I got a text, a flirty one, that was inviting. I said it was a crappy day, he said "come over". Asked him to please not tempt me, that I was closer to him than home and he threw in the "I dare you", it was funny. The phone conversation that followed resulted in a pre-planned PG-rated slumber party of "movie and bed". I told him I was out of sorts, not myself and would only be using him for distractions. He said he was happy to take the job.

I went.

What happened was just that; a PG-rated slumber party. There was kissing (the first), spooning and snuggling and some mild petting. No pressure, no awkwardness, it was exactly what I needed and there seemed no reason the track would change.

After this the speed went from 60 to zero.
There was texting, phone conversations but little to no flirting.

I aimed low and swept side-to-side making sure the flames were all out. Apparently.

Then the texts were days between.
Then after a couple weeks of this the texts started coming at strange times (4 am "can't sleep") and getting flirty again but stopping short of really flirty.

We have had many phone conversations on the professional front. I am the link to registration and the next progression in his education.
I am not and will not again be his teacher but he will be working closely with my department and may end up doing teaching hours in my classes.
All conversations are easy, comfortable and sometimes a little flirty.
Never again has there been any attempt to get together.

We have been together in the office and in public and my friends have all commented on the heavy sparks, charged interactions, sneaky looks (on his part), sparkly winks from accross the rooms etc.
Clearly, to these observers the sparks are still burning.

So, 1st I will admit that the night of the slumber party was me at an all-time emotional low. I wasn't crying or clingy or even talking about it. I was quieter than usual, he commented. But it was really late and past both of our bedtimes and the plan was just to go to sleep.

2nd I will admit that the idea of spending time, flirty dating & yes, sex, time with this man was/is very exciting and I probably turned into an insane, leach-chick who might as well have put a sign in his yard that said "ask me out! ask me out! I'll say yes! I'll say yes!"
But I don't know because no one else was watching me.
And honestly I'm not exactly sure how I was doing this if I was at all.
I'm not very good at the "sit back and wait for him to contact you" game and probably initiated more texts and calls than I should have but I really wasn't a maniac. It was just no secret that I would certainly continue this whatever-it-is.

So when I do ignore him, he does text.
I saw him a couple of days ago at a big event. I was the picture of cool and casual, looked cute/sexy but not slutty, didn't look for him at all. He found me with a surprise flying from behind hug, winks, sneaky looks after that, met my friends (and was very shy with them) and the review was, again, sparks for sure.

so: (if you're still here)
theory 1: I totally doused the flames with my super hero strength fire extinguisher and ruined everything.

theory 2: Because he is returning to the program at school he is backing off again to avoid any conflict there.

theory 3: I have more "merit badges" in our field and he is intimidated or feels unworthy and so is backing off.

theory 4: He is not actually interested in dating a smart, sexy older woman like maybe he thought he was. (okay, 14 years but we have never discussed it and he has never, ever asked how old I am and seriously no one ever guesses within even 8 years.)

I think it's 1 & 2.
girlfriends/observers think it's all 2 & 3

so your help:
I am backed off. Will not initiate contact. Will continue to be the jolly, witty, flirty woman I am with him when we have contact. Will continue to be professional in the office. Will NOT send mutual friends on info-hunts or nudge-nudge assignments. Will NOT do voodoo or love magic.
Will, however, hope madly that there is still a chance that this will become the casual, sexy, flirty affair it started out to be.

Is there hope?
Do men just turn it all off that fast and that completely?

Oh, he is not dating anyone, has not hooked up with anyone and remains, in his words, "as single as can be" so theory 5: he met someone else, is not an option.

okay, let me have it :)

if you are still reading I apologize for my 10 pt vomiting and no, I do not talk this incessantly in person.

What are words for..when no one speaks them anymore

spicynuts — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:57:46 -0800

Need an iPhone app that can fully replace texting. My phone bill was WAY too high this month. I have several friends that are extremely important to me that refuse to actually talk on the phone. All of their communication is via text if not in person. This has taken a huge toll on my iPhone bill the last month or so. Is there an iPhone app that will allow me the same instant communication without the others having to have the same app? Do thinks like Beejive do this? Ideally I'd like to be able to use something like IM but that wouldn't require all of my friends to be logged into IM to get in touch with me via text-like communication. What's out there?

Just how connected are we?

sabotagerabbit — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:26:18 -0800

I'm working on a short essay, and trying to get a general idea of how many hours per week the average person spends sending e-mails, talking on the phone, texting, etc. My google-fu is completely failing me (well, I'm finding some fairly incomplete data from about 2004, which is obviously not that useful), and I'd like to have something to back up my claim that we're spending more and more time "connected" each week. Any sources would be very helpful. Thanks!

Cellphone plans for texting rather than talking?

tzikeh — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:12:48 -0800

I love my Treo (smartphone), and I use it for everything - except for making phone calls. Are there any plans out there that privilege texting over speech? I'm currently with Verizon and paying about $70-$80 a month, but I don't even come close to using up my minutes. I think I have 450 minutes and I maybe use 20-30 a month. The money all goes to text messaging, which I use far more than I ever use the phone service.

Are there any cellphone plans out there which have flat fees for texting that aren't on top of the fee for phone minutes? And if there aren't, does anyone have a suggestion of how I might lower my monthly costs without giving up texting?

New CA cell phone law: why not ban text messaging?

jaimev — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:45:04 -0800

California's new law that bans talking into a cell phone while in a vehicle, starts next week. What's the reason why text messaging was not explicitly banned also? I would have thought texting is just as unsafe, if not more so, than talking on a cell phone. Were legislators afraid their bill couldn't be passed if they banned texting? Or was the thinking that texting would be covered by some other unsafe driving law?

How can I send text messages to people on various services through e-mail or some other gateway

willnot — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:12:08 -0800

We'd like to build an application that can send text messages to people on various cell services. Think something like how twitter works where they give you their cell number, and then you can send messages to them. We've found an easy way to do it via e-mail if you know the service that the person is on, but I have to think there's a better way to handle this. The problem is I'm not sure what keywords to be searching on to find helpful information. Can you point me towards a breakdown of how to set something like this up or help me figure out what keywords I need to find it myself?

How instant is a Twitter update?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:43:25 -0800

How long does it take for a Twitter update (via SMS) to reach a follower (via SMS), all between Dutch mobile phones in the Netherlands using the UK (+44) Twitter number?

I'm mad as hell, and you're not going to text anymore!

buriednexttoyou — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:21:23 -0800

How do I take revenge on the cell phone jerks in the movie theater? Answer not just for me, or for #1, but for all of us. Harry Potter, IMAX, $11 tickets, some guys come into the movie late, they're texting during the movie, especially towards the end. It's a five-story-tall screen and somehow their little phones blaze brighter than Harry's damn wand. So I lean over and ask, "Hey, could you put your phone away? Thanks." He brushes me off with a "Don't worry about it," and continues thumb-typing away. It's too late in the film to bother calling an usher, and the people around me asking the guy to stop does no good. This cell phone asshattery is commonplace now, and my fuse has run out. What can we do about this? What actions can one take to get these people to watch the movie they paid $11 to see, or get them the hell out? Don't hold back, I want to teach them a lesson. I want a handbook for the movie theater superhero.

How am I going to make the boy pay?

msali — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 07:29:43 -0800

I need help coming up with a creative punishment for my teenage son. Owing to a glitch in the AT&T/Cingular system, on January 1st, the block against text messaging on my son's phone was disabled. My husband flipped his shit this morning when he discovered that the kid had racked up over US$ 150 in text charges. We have already called Cingular and replaced the block, and we should be getting an abatement on the charge, since the company readily admitted that they were at fault for removing the block in the first place.
Kid's gotta be punished, though. He knows he isn't supposed to be texting, and most of the texts were while he was at school - huge no no. Furthermore, the number of texts was egregious - over 1000!
Now we have to come up with some creative way to punish him, something that goes beyond the "we are taking away your phone until you give us US$ 150". He has a phone so we can keep track of him (which was the point of giving him one in the first place), and he doesn't have a job because school has to be his exclusive priority at this point in his life. He already lost his computer last month for crappy grades, so how can we punish him for this most grievous transgression?
I should also add that corporal punishment has never ever been used, so please don't suggest that I beat him with his phone (although the thought did cross my mind).
Help me punish my kid, mefi!

Who were the first power-SMS users?

rongorongo — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:27:26 -0800

Who were the first group of people to embrace SMS texting? Did any members of the group who designed the protocol accurately predict how it would be used? The story of how the growth of texting was not predicted by phone companies is often told. We equally tend to hear that texting took off when it got into the hands of young people. However I seem to recall it was already quite popular before mobile phones became a mass market item (around 2000 I guess).

Cheaper cellphone texting from the UK to the USA.

Marquis — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 04:55:03 -0800

How can I save money sending hundreds of SMS messages (and making occasional phonecalls) from my UK mobile phone to a USA cell? I currently use Virgin's Pay-As-You-Go for my phone - the prices are very competitive, and as I don't send that many texts to other Brits (or make many calls), there's not really any reason to get a monthly plan.

These days, however, circumstances have changed and I now send tons of texts to (one number in) the USA, occasionally also calling. The Virgin rates are, as far as I can tell, about the same as its competitors for international texts (20p / minute, 20p / text). But I'm wondering if I'm missing something or if anyone sells any monthly plans targeted at international callers like myself. I'm definitely spending £10-£20/mo (probably more) on international texts at this point.

I briefly looked into buying an American SIM card and using that, but roaming fees make it look like I wouldn't save any money by texting an American number from the UK...

Does anyone have any ideas for alternate cell plans or solutions? I'm really looking for something I can use with my phone (ie, internet-based free SMS websites aren't helpful, nor is Skype).

Many thanks!

What carrier has the best txt msg plans?

CwgrlUp — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 13:13:14 -0800

ATTN TXT-AHOLICS! What carrier has the best text messaging plan? I am currently pimping 2 phones because I have my own personal phone with Sprint (no txt plan) and a spare phone from my gf's mom which is a Verizon phone (unlimited txt plan, this phone is only used to txt my gf). My contract with Sprint expires this winter and I don't necessarily want to continue with them. How can I pare my situation down to one phone?

Notes: Verizon is not local where I live. I could not get a local number with them, so they are out. (I can use the OTHER phone to txt because it has unlimited roaming, but it wouldn't work as a sole phone b/c of the no local number problem.)

Local carriers for me are Alltel, Sprint and Cingular. I need unlimited texting if at all possible, but I'll take the best I can get. Thanks for any info you can provide.