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Text Messaging

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:11 pm
by Sunny

As technology changes our lifestyles, it also changes our language and grammar. I often use the text messaging function on my phone to stay in touch with my co-worker, family and friends. When it comes to speaking about text messaging I often find myself fumbling with the words.

I believe that it would be proper to say "Did you get the text message that I sent earlier in the day?"

That defines that it was in the written form and supposedly via the phone. I am hearing others speak of text messaging using the word "texted". "I texted you earlier in the day." I know that this is incorrect, but it does seem like a natural evolution of the word as it is now being used to describe an action of sorts.

I don't seem to be going anywhere with this, except to express my frustration, because I too want to use the word "texted", and often have to back up my sentence and start again using "text message".

Your thoughts? Anyone?



Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:19 pm
by Palewriter
The folks I hang out with, who appear to understand things technological (though they appear to have no clue what a gramaphone is) use the term IM both for the computer kind and the cellphone kind of texting. I find IMs to be rather irritating in their brevity. I get messages like "me 2" or "c u friday". Brief, to be sure, but not exactly erudite.

-- PW

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:43 pm
by Sunny
:D
The great thing about being able to type is that I see no excuse for abbreviating words when text messaging or for IMs. As a result of this, the person I am in IM with will usually start struggling to type out full sentences and even put in a bit of punctuation! It is very amusing, and I suppose frustrating for the person I am in conversation with.


Although IM is another term for text messaging, it still has its problems. "I IMed you today, did you receive it?"

It is enough to drive me over the wall!

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:58 pm
by Bailey
I think this may be the thread I kind of ignore. My phone is wonderful it makes calls, both incoming and outgoing happen, I can hear and I can talk. What I can't do is take pictures with it, check my email, write to people anywhere or have it walk my dog or wrap my presents or paint portraits of sports stars. It's not chocolate or Cherry.
I can't quite wrap my head around any problem with 'texting', sorry
I am, in fact, still struggling with the camcorder we got to memorialize this year's er, 'Holiday' festivities. The instruction manual has a 'function tree' [what is that, please?] not step-by-step directions, the quick overview page included, well not nearly enough information for me to figure it out. No, it's not broken, I finally figured out how to play back on the machine, now I need to figure out how to save things on my pc. So I'm going to take my Luddite self away from this discussion.

Do carry on!


mark low-techie Bailey

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:45 pm
by Palewriter
As a somewhat high-tech kind of fellow Luddite, I can feel your pain, Bailey. I refuse to get an Ipod, an Xbox or a Wii, for example. Just the name Wii simply urinates me off. So to speak.

As for truncated IMs, my problem is that my thumbs are each about an inch wide, while the buttons on my supersonic-cellphone-with-qwerty-keyboard are each about the size of a gnats ass. There's an issue there, although I can't quite put my finger on it. Hm...maybe that's the issue, right there.

-- PW

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:44 am
by skinem
I'm IM-challenged--both phone and computer. I have an ex-school administrator's hatred of IMing...most people would be absolutely amazed at the problems it causes in schools. Rumors travel at the speed of light and little teenage girls absolutely love to gossip and say things to each other about each other that they wouldn't dare say to their face. Of course that then causes either cat-fights the next day at school, with the attendant taking of sides, or a tough guy having to defend his girl's honor (such as it is), or a parent bringing in transcripts of garbage from the night's conversations saying "What are you going to do about this?" (I'll look into it Mr. Jones. By the way, I see you allow your child to be on the computer at 2:30 in the morning. I'm sure you're right there to provide guidance since obviously the internet is a dangerous place, huh?)

I'm with Palewriter...my fingers are too fat and it's just too slow to do. If I want to send a message via phone, I'll call.

Do I sound like a grumpy old man? A fuddy-duddy? Scrooge? Mr. Grinch? All of the above?

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:45 am
by skinem
By the way, Sunny...I'm sorry I'm no help and that I hijacked your thread.

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:32 am
by Bailey
Aw, Skinny, you didn't hijack it I did, so I'll apologise
mark sowwy Bailey

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:35 am
by Sunny
:)
Hijacked! I love it! Do it again :P

It is the most excitement this grl has had all month.

Now, what were you saying about rumours getting started?

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:42 am
by Bailey
PW, I also have an MP3 player on my minicam and I'm really hoping I can figure it out so I can listen to all my favorites while I'm hooked up to my minicam, I can hardly wait to screw those earbud thingies into my ears, they just look so comfy and inviting.

I don't know any good rumors, if I did I tell you Sunny, you might enjoy some I may come across.

mark hijacked-again, so-sowwy Bailey

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:58 pm
by sluggo
In the weeks after August 29 last year, we Katrinites found that while our cellphones couldn't talk, we could find each other and communicate via texting. Thus having had that experience, I would get "I texted you". I suppose If I had no experience with text messages I might have to think. Even if it is a new formation, it follows English logic, so it would seem the only barrier to use of "texted" would be inexperience with the practice.

But I've never thought of text messages and IMs as the same thing at all and I wonder if we're using a common term for different things. For me texting means on a cellphone, picking out one letter at a time and thus generally limited to the vitals- phone number, time, etc., while IMs are done on a computer keyboard, facilitating complete thoughts, and in real time 2-way dialogue. (this brings back a foggy memory of being told in an IM box, "you type fast for a guy" :? )

In any case I agree with Sunny's philosophy here on abbreviation-as-shorthand, the use of "u" for "you" being particularly grating.

Sorry to wander ontopic. Don't know what got into me :(