I am not a chick that enjoys 'chick flicks,' so it was surprising to most people that I would even bother to shell out the $10 to go see He's Just Not That Into You.
Despite the obvious warning signs of chick-flickery, such as Jennifer Anniston being one of the lead roles, I went because the trailers alluded to how people have used different text mediums to communicate with the opposite sex. Unfortunatly, only Drew Barrymore's character was using texting, Myspace or internet dating, and even then, the only insight that this particular movie had was already shown in the trailer. Drew Barrymore discussed about how she changed her Myspace profile to attract new types of men. None of this being new information. Anyone can put up some scantily-clad photos of themself and profile views are bound to increase.
Granted I have yet to read the book, and I have seen some horrid movie adaptations and probably shouldn't judge, but I would just like to warn people against seeing this film, especially if you think it will add insight to the way young, single people communicate through text. If you are going to waste 3 hours of your life, at least wait until it's playing on HBO.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Life Altering Questions
I tend to rely fairly heavily on text messages for my main mode of communication. However, I've made it very clear that there are topics that are best left face-to-face, or at least through a telephone conversation. In past blogs I've listed a few things out, and have even gone over reasons why texting isn't always the best form of communication. The list isn't comprehensive, and every once in awhile I get a text message that breaks basic textiquette.
A few days ago I received a text message from a friend asking: "Hey, do u want to move in with me?"
The reason that this text message makes the list is not because of my friend necessarily, we'll call her Tonya. I used to work with Tonya for years, and even though I no longer work at that particular company, I've remained close with those people. We get together about once a month; they're like a second family to me. Moving in with Tonya is not far out of the realm of possibility.
This text message makes the list because the question itself does not fit within the medium of texting. Text messages are fast. Messages are sent and received from phone to phone within a matter of seconds, and people reply just as quickly. But, the concept of moving is a life changing decision. It needs to be deliberated over, and many things such as location and cost must be taken into consideration. The text message begs for a quick response to the question but a quick response to this question is not wise.
So please remember, texting is a convenience, and should not be used to ask life altering questions.
A few days ago I received a text message from a friend asking: "Hey, do u want to move in with me?"
The reason that this text message makes the list is not because of my friend necessarily, we'll call her Tonya. I used to work with Tonya for years, and even though I no longer work at that particular company, I've remained close with those people. We get together about once a month; they're like a second family to me. Moving in with Tonya is not far out of the realm of possibility.
This text message makes the list because the question itself does not fit within the medium of texting. Text messages are fast. Messages are sent and received from phone to phone within a matter of seconds, and people reply just as quickly. But, the concept of moving is a life changing decision. It needs to be deliberated over, and many things such as location and cost must be taken into consideration. The text message begs for a quick response to the question but a quick response to this question is not wise.
So please remember, texting is a convenience, and should not be used to ask life altering questions.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Unknown Texts
Recently I have gotten text messages from a number that I don't recognize. I've actually received two from one number in particular. On occasion I have given my phone number out to people that I've met, never to hear from those people again. So, when I received a holiday greeting from a number that I didn't recognize, I figured it was a mass text from one of those guys.
Until I received another text from the same number a few weeks later asking, "What's up? How've you been?"
It seemed to personal to be a mass text message, and I have no idea who this person could possibly be. I ignored this text message as well, not wanting to start a text message conversation that would inevitably turn into, "Who are you?"... "Well, who are you?"
Perhaps I was wrong to ignore the text message, it could have turned out that I did, in fact know who this person is. I guess when it comes right down to it, I'm unsure what the proper textiquette would be in this case. But one thing is for certain, I did not want to start a text message war with someone that I don't know.
Until I received another text from the same number a few weeks later asking, "What's up? How've you been?"
It seemed to personal to be a mass text message, and I have no idea who this person could possibly be. I ignored this text message as well, not wanting to start a text message conversation that would inevitably turn into, "Who are you?"... "Well, who are you?"
Perhaps I was wrong to ignore the text message, it could have turned out that I did, in fact know who this person is. I guess when it comes right down to it, I'm unsure what the proper textiquette would be in this case. But one thing is for certain, I did not want to start a text message war with someone that I don't know.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Dear John,
I'm a Yahoo user, and my new guilty pleasure is reading Shine at work. Shine is a combination of user blog posts and more professional blog posts to make something equivalent to Cosmo, only it gets updated every day.
This was a user post I read this morning.
This is in direct balance to my prior post about the love text. And while it is cute to send love notes through sms, on paper or even on the phone, it is absolutely disgusting to tell a spouse about an impending divorce in anyway other than face to face.
As much of a fan as I am of the sms message, in no circumstances should this be ever done. I believe I've had a prior post about how not to break up with a boy/girlfriend over text; marriage is completely inexcusable.
What is wrong with people? It would almost be better for this woman's husband just to disappear into the night without any trace, than to send a text like that. It's probably a good thing they are getting divorced, especially if the marriage means so little to this guy that he can end it in less than 160 characters.
That text is in extremely poor textiquette.
This was a user post I read this morning.
This is in direct balance to my prior post about the love text. And while it is cute to send love notes through sms, on paper or even on the phone, it is absolutely disgusting to tell a spouse about an impending divorce in anyway other than face to face.
As much of a fan as I am of the sms message, in no circumstances should this be ever done. I believe I've had a prior post about how not to break up with a boy/girlfriend over text; marriage is completely inexcusable.
What is wrong with people? It would almost be better for this woman's husband just to disappear into the night without any trace, than to send a text like that. It's probably a good thing they are getting divorced, especially if the marriage means so little to this guy that he can end it in less than 160 characters.
That text is in extremely poor textiquette.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Saving Text Messages
If you too want to save text messages there are a couple of different ways.
1. If your phone has a SD memory card slot, you can save them to that, and then access them on computer, or a new cellphone.
2. There is a great website call Treasure My Texts. It is a social sharing website, for example you can follow your friend's texts, but there are ways to set it to private, or just individual private texts.
Feel free to view my stream.
1. If your phone has a SD memory card slot, you can save them to that, and then access them on computer, or a new cellphone.
2. There is a great website call Treasure My Texts. It is a social sharing website, for example you can follow your friend's texts, but there are ways to set it to private, or just individual private texts.
Feel free to view my stream.
The Dying Art of Letter Writing
Last night I was invited to a dinner party at a Professor's house from my Undergraduate days. It was a pot luck dinner for the English faculty at A.I.C, including some retired staff, most of the people I haven't seen since I graduated two years ago.
I was delighted to spend the evening with company that I have always held in such high regard and enjoy conversation about theater, music and literature. Towards the end of the night, the party dwindled down to six people, and they began discussing how each had met their spouses, and the courtship rituals that each had gone through. I, on this subject, was merely a listener, I can barely hold down a boyfriend, let alone husband. They all began to discuss how each had written love letters, and had held onto each precious memento.
As I sat in the large living room by the fire place, in my Professor's renovated Victorian house, with all the artifacts from all the various countries that she has lived in, I too began to lament the loss of letter writing. How personal it is, to receive pages upon pages, of another person's thoughts. These letters are physical records of a person's life, memories, hopes and dreams.
Yet, me and my generation, have the text message, and while it is not as nearly romanticized as the letter it does have it's benefits. For one, there is no long waiting period for the letter to physically cross the country, we can have instance gratification from cell phone to cell phone. For two, it can be just as romantic, and it is possible to keep text messages forever. For example, I have one from my ex-boyfriend that I can't part with:
"For what it's worth though Denise...I love you the way you are. To me you'll always be perfect. :-)"
No, it's not sixteen pages, like the first letter one of the couples had received from his wife, it doesn't even take up the full 160 characters but it's enough to still have an emotional impact on me.
Perhaps if I was to divulge this information to the English faculty, they would just have sighed and shaken their heads, feeling pity for me and my electronically fused world. And perhaps they're right, I will never know the anticipation of waiting at a mailbox, but I do know the anticipation of waiting for my phone to light up with a call or text. They're not exactly the same, but deep, deep down, they have the same significance.
I was delighted to spend the evening with company that I have always held in such high regard and enjoy conversation about theater, music and literature. Towards the end of the night, the party dwindled down to six people, and they began discussing how each had met their spouses, and the courtship rituals that each had gone through. I, on this subject, was merely a listener, I can barely hold down a boyfriend, let alone husband. They all began to discuss how each had written love letters, and had held onto each precious memento.
As I sat in the large living room by the fire place, in my Professor's renovated Victorian house, with all the artifacts from all the various countries that she has lived in, I too began to lament the loss of letter writing. How personal it is, to receive pages upon pages, of another person's thoughts. These letters are physical records of a person's life, memories, hopes and dreams.
Yet, me and my generation, have the text message, and while it is not as nearly romanticized as the letter it does have it's benefits. For one, there is no long waiting period for the letter to physically cross the country, we can have instance gratification from cell phone to cell phone. For two, it can be just as romantic, and it is possible to keep text messages forever. For example, I have one from my ex-boyfriend that I can't part with:
"For what it's worth though Denise...I love you the way you are. To me you'll always be perfect. :-)"
No, it's not sixteen pages, like the first letter one of the couples had received from his wife, it doesn't even take up the full 160 characters but it's enough to still have an emotional impact on me.
Perhaps if I was to divulge this information to the English faculty, they would just have sighed and shaken their heads, feeling pity for me and my electronically fused world. And perhaps they're right, I will never know the anticipation of waiting at a mailbox, but I do know the anticipation of waiting for my phone to light up with a call or text. They're not exactly the same, but deep, deep down, they have the same significance.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Pointless Texts
I no longer like checking my voice mail. Quite frankly, it is a pain in the ass to dial the number, punch in my password and listen to the prompts before I get to the actual message. Then, typically the message sounds like this, "Hey Denise, its (insert name of friend here), give me a call back." Grrr. I was going to call back anyway, that is what my missed call list is for.
This type of techno-laziness stems specifically from text messages. I only have to press two buttons to reach my message. However, those two buttons are far too many to push if the message reads, "Hey."
It is common courtesy, if you are going to get my attention by sending out a text message, for the love of God, make it more interesting and worth my time to push those two buttons. I'm even okay if the message reads, "How are you? I haven't seen you in awhile" or "Do you want to hang out?" Both these texts implies the same thing that "Hey" does, but it gives the receiver of the text slight more satisfaction knowing that the sender care enough to write a full sentence.
This type of techno-laziness stems specifically from text messages. I only have to press two buttons to reach my message. However, those two buttons are far too many to push if the message reads, "Hey."
It is common courtesy, if you are going to get my attention by sending out a text message, for the love of God, make it more interesting and worth my time to push those two buttons. I'm even okay if the message reads, "How are you? I haven't seen you in awhile" or "Do you want to hang out?" Both these texts implies the same thing that "Hey" does, but it gives the receiver of the text slight more satisfaction knowing that the sender care enough to write a full sentence.
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