The New York Times’s Charles McGrath examines text messaging around the world. As I’ve mentioned before, I find texting to be an especially useful and enjoyable mode of communicating; as McGrath notes, the practice is huge in Asia, and I became enamored with texting last year in Taiwan.
My only gripe with the article is that, like many pieces written about text messaging, it focuses entirely on the standard method of texting, in which abbreviations and acronyms reign supreme (i.e. instead of “tomorrow,” you type “2morrow;” LOL means “laughing out loud,” etc.). But all serious texters I’ve ever encountered — and yes, I consider myself one — use predictive texting. It’s way faster. And more coherent.
One reply on “On Texting”
maybe i’m missing something, because i still have yet to grasp why texting is such a fad? why would i screw around with typing on buttons too small for my fingers anyway when on the very same machine all i have to do is talk into the microphone and can relay the same messages, only faster and more of it. please note record for typing: 212 words per minute (Barbara Blackburn); and record for speaking: 650 words per minute (Steve Woodmore).
and this is from someone that detests phones. someone please help me to understand this phenomenon.