Pot Luck #57: TXT U L8R - Texting

This module on Texting is required for all staff. It is worth .5 Training hours and will be available through May 31, 2009. For this module only, you do not need a blog. You can do the exercise on the Registration Form.

Flickr CC: Pigeons Sending Texts - Metro
Uploaded by: Annie Mole

Text messaging has become extremely popular. When you send a text message from your phone, you use SMS, which stands for Short Message Service. According to a Nielsen Mobile survey, the average adult cell phone user sends and receives about 357 text messages a month; teens on the other hand, can use up to a couple thousand. You can use text messaging to communicate with friends and family, vote for your favorite on American Idol, or get updates from some websites. With the rise in popularity of texting is it any wonder that people think they can do it while they're driving? The New York Times discusses the danger of driving while texting in this article.

Even if you don’t send text messages very often, it is a good idea to know how to send them. There may be situations in which you must preserve the life of your cell phone battery. For example, when Hurricane Ike passed through and left us without electricity, many people were texting instead of making calls from their phones for the simple reason that texting worked. Sending text messages does not drain your battery as much as making a call would. Another problem was that too many people were trying to make calls from their cell phones and couldn’t get through.

Cell phone carriers charge you for every text message that you send and receive, unless you have a text message package. There are some websites that will allow you to send messages to other cell phones for free (for example txt2day.com and Free Text Messaging). Most cell phone carriers allow you to do this from their site if you have an account with them.

Have you ever seen a text message you can’t understand? There are many websites where you can learn text message lingo. On the website Lingo 2 Word, you can translate the message into plain English.

So how do you send a text message?

Cellular & Mobile Phones: How To Text Message

Mobile Phone
Originally uploaded by incurable_hippie

1. Select the menu option on your cell phone.
2. Find and select "messages."
3. Select "text messages"
4. Type in the cell phone number of the person(s) you want to text and click "OK" to confirm
5. Select "write or compose message" or similar from the "messaging Menu"
6. Type your message using the keypad. Text messages are generally limited to 140-160 characters.
7. When done, select "OK" or "SEND"
   

See this step by step guide for more tips. Many cell phones have a traditional phone keypad, which shows numbers and letters. If you press the number 2 you will get an a. If you press it a second time, you will get a b, a third time will get you a c. If you continue you will get the number and capital versions of each letter.

Reading/Receiving a Text Message
When you receive a text message you should have an alert on your phone. It may be in the form of an envelope icon or you may have an alert asking if you want to read the message now or later. To view all messages received:

1. Select the menu option on your cell phone.
2. Find and select "messaging."
   
3. Select "text messages" or "inbox."
   
4. Click on the message to view
5. Select reply to respond to the message.
   

Exercise
Write a blog post about text messaging. Include the following in your post:

• Have you ever sent a text message?
• If you haven't, be sure to watch the video and read through the basics of sending a text message. Using this information, do you think you could send a message in an emergency?
• If you have, was it only in an emergency or are you a regular texter?
• Do you use text lingo? Did Lingo 2 Word help?
• Finally, what are your thoughts on the texting and driving after reading the New York Times article?

This post brought to you by Daisy Torres (FM).

HCPL Staff: When you have completed the module, Submit your iHCPL: Texting Module registration. Remember, you can do the exercise directly on the registration form.