Comments on: Texting Is Stupid

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:03:17 +0000

I’m from Argentina. I’m a 33 years old average guy with a very basic Samsung C165 cell phone with no MP3 and a worthless camera, and I’m not going to buy anything else, unless it has the embedded utility for voice recongnition so I can send SMS by voice. I already know my family and friends thinks I’m half crazy (if not totally) but we’re at the XXI century! I see all the kids and adult people texting like cavemen and believe me, it’s so disturbing to see thousands of people using their thumbs like they were in the good old days of brand-new typing machines. The communication objects are smaller every day, we have stylus pens to work with palms, tactile screens, GBytes and Gbytes to hold thousands of files in the size of a nail, but even 40 years later the “Star Trek” show, we can’t say “Computer, search at Google”.
Technology is not the problem. The real problem is the mentality of the human being and the hunger for cash. As always.
But don’t cry for me, maybe in ten years I’ll change my cell phone.
In the meantime, I keep playing with my leg bone as the monkey in 2001: A space odyssey, wishing it turns into a spaceship…

By: NICCAI

NICCAI — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:35:18 +0000

SMS should stay as it is, however phones and/or their software should support transcription/dictation of messages for accessibility – whether it be for the impaired or simply the busy (errr…driving).

By: bondi the great

bondi the great — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:00:51 +0000

I think a lot of people use text messages specifically because there is a certain element of anonymity.. or freedom to say things you otherwise wouldn’t.. This isn’t relevant for you and your wife, but texting “had a gr8 time w/u 2nt, talk 2u soon” is oh so much easier then saying it in a voice message:)

By: Perry

Perry — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:21:43 +0000

The SMS patterns of really heavy using teenagers are about severe multi-tasking = having a live exchange with a bunch of people, and keeping it all in context (via the txt threads).

Your voice scenario does not support the ADD world of teen SMS. It ain't going anywhere until this (much more complex) problem is solved.

By: Jeff B

Jeff B — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:20:07 +0000

Being able to send by voice is cool. Receiving and listening by voice would be good if people would use there ear pieces. Could you imagine being in a crowd with my daughter who sends over 8,000 text a month. Would have to listen to all her one liners hell probably all her one word responses.

I like your post and great blog.

By: coxy

coxy — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:45:20 +0000

Texting is immensely popular here in the UK and many younger people have the preference of sending a text (SMS) as opposed to making a phonecall.

There is also the ability to send / receive MMS messages (picture and video) and Voice Messages (basically an MMS but just with recorded audio) which is what you were on about.

Nobody uses Voice Messages, because if they wanted to do that, they mayaswell have just dropped that person a phonecall and rang through to their voicemail. Plus – where the standard rate for a SMS is 10p (or you get allocated free SMS messages in your contract – mine’s unlimited ) a MMS or Voice Message can cost twice, or three times that and is less likely to be incorporated in your package.

By: Igor Jablokov

Igor Jablokov — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:15:06 +0000

JHC, appreciate the mention. This is precisely the use case we were founded to solve...we've launched our platform awhile back but are mired in operator trials.

John, let me know if you want to play with an initial version anytime soon. We'd welcome any constructive criticism.

By: Brendan Davis

Brendan Davis — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:51:22 +0000

Check out http://www.Jott.com You can send messages via voice to text and read your e-mail via a free 800 number. check it out.

By: sam

sam — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:17:08 +0000

Palringo allows you to send little voice snippets back and forth.

The computing in the cloud idea is interesting, I wonder how feasible it is though. It would have to be pretty quick for people to use it.

On my phone I can initiate texts with a voice command but I can't actually write texts with a voice command. I hardly ever use it though because it's just as easy and more reliable to hit the two buttons that it takes to start a new text.

By: Matt McKnight

Matt McKnight — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:05:48 +0000

Isn't that called Jott?
http://jott.com