hotshot

As I watch those experienced text-messangers around me, I wonder how they do it. How DO people text full ideas so quickly? Do they use abbreviations?

gizmokid999

well, for me (the girl who sent out 400 text messages last month), i can type quickly from practice. i type faster than the curser sometimes. if i use abbreviations, it's usually because it got too long and there's not enough space to finish my sentence.
but
for many it's either:
1) practice
2) abbreviations
3) the weird option on your phone that's like T9word.

i know a couple people who use #3 - it's really creepy... you know the word you're going to type... say it's "ate". you type in the letter 2, followed by 8, followed by 3 and you press each one once and it guesses the word based on commonly used words. and if it guesses the wrong word, you press the pound key (i think it is) and it goes to the next possibility and it's usually one of them... it's incredibly fast and accurate. i only don't use it cuz i had no idea what it was when my phone had the option, then i got a new phone and i can't find it as an option on it .
but... that's usually how!

hotshot

Fascinating. I'm especially fascinated by the new phones that literally have those miniature keyboards on them. As a woman with large hands, I have to wonder how anyone can type using those teeny-tiny keys. Your explanation does help.

400 text messages in a month!

frontline

Does it cost a lot extra to use the texting feature on your phone? Or is it included in your regular billing?

hotshot

That's great. A whole new language to learn. Maybe schools will eventually offer classes in "text messaging" as opposed to short hand. Regardless, it is fascinating. I just read an article about how the keyboard is becoming an obscelete piece of hardware b/c of text messaging.

gizmokid999

I would like to know if 4oo messages cost you extra as well. I have seen others doing texting as well. It's like playing video games. Maybe that's where some of them get their dexterity.

frontline

It's cheaper to pay a flat rate for texting, if you use it a lot. I pay $9.99 for 250 messages. It's worth it because it saves on airtime minutes, to text a message. I abbreviate the messages, leaving out the vowels. This makes it faster. For example, instead of typing out, can you come over tonight, instead I type, cn u cm ovr 2nit. Or instead of what are you doing for lunch, you can type in wht r u dng 4 lnch. You can also use numbers for letters. The word great becomes gr8, forever becomes 4evr, etc. It's confusing at first but you get used to it, or rather, its cnfusng @ 1st bt u gt usd 2 it