I was pretty much dragged into texting kicking and screaming all the way. For years I refused to use it until smartphones got cheap and prepaid options presented what I considered to be a fair deal. Ultimately, what finally got me to use texting regularly was the right phone (as in one with a touchscreen, even if a cheap model) and a prepaid provider (Tracfone) that has reasonably good prices for time cards.

Since that time I’ve learned a few things about texting that are more or less universally true.

1. It’s not email

Many of you on read of the above would say, "Duh, of course it isn’t." Well, that’s not entirely true. Texting isn’t the same transport-wise as the way email works, but an electronic message is an electronic message no matter what the medium/platform is.

What I’m getting at here is the writing method. Texting is basically what I call "email shorthand", as in short, simple, to-the-point, no fluff. If you waffle when texting, it just doesn’t work. And yes, you can waffle. Modern smartphones allow you to send out multiple "pages" of text from a single long message split into separate SMS texts, and the phone will automatically do it for you. But should you do that? No.

2. Courtesy rules apply

When you send email, you just write, send and that’s that. But with texting you have to take certain courtesy rules into consideration.

For example, some people don’t like to be texted after 10pm. Most people leave their phones on 24 hours a day and many use them as their alarm clocks too. Blasting out a text to them when they’re sleeping will get you a nastygram reply in return (and possibly get your number blocked).

3. Grammar doesn’t apply

The worst written (or rather typed) discourse in the history of mankind has been through texting. Is this because people are stupid? No. The technology is stupid.

Whether you have simple T9 predictive texting or some fancy-schmancy super-duper-pooper swipey predictive smartphone thing going on, no amount of tech to date has been able to correct all our mistakes. In fact, it makes more mistakes than anything else.

On hundreds of "plain" phone models (even for smartphones), one of the hardest words to write out is anything with a contraction in it, like that’s, you’re and so on. Most people just skip the contraction apostrophe outright and write those words as thats and youre. The apostrophe is skipped because that character is such a pain in the ass to get to on some phones, so the tech fails us there and not us.

4. Texting proved that most people don’t like instant messaging

Texting is not exactly like traditional email and not exactly instant messaging either, but it leans more towards IM. Call it "slow instant messaging", if you will.

IM is for all intents and purposes a stationary PC thing. Works great in gaming. Works great when you’re at the desk. Doesn’t work anywhere else, or at least not that well.

People by and large prefer the slower, non-instant means of communication when it comes to sending messages back and forth; texting amplifies this point.

5. Plain text rules the roost. Always.

SMS contains no predefined fonts or colors, nor does it have the ability to set text as bold, italic or underline; this drives home the point that computer users have known all along, that being: Unless you’re making a presentation of some kind, nobody cares about formatted text. That’s what we started with, and it’s always what we come back to because it’s the best and fastest way to send an electronic message.

Should you start texting more?

If you asked me this question back in 2005 I would have said no. No way, no how, not happening. But in 2012 my answer is changed to a yes.

Texting is a very effective means of communication. It helps you keep in better communication with people who don’t like to talk on the phone but like to text instead. From a digital daily life point of view, SMS is great for having reminders sent to you (such as getting a balance update from your bank checking account). SMS often defeats crappy cell tower signal, because if a voice call fails, the SMS more often than not will get through.

From a cost perspective, SMS is at the point where you won’t get screwed out of a ton of money anymore. This wasn’t the case in 2005, but now there are many wireless providers on both sides of the fence (prepaid and post-paid) where you can text without worrying about ridiculous fees attached to it. Yes, you still have to shop around for the best deal, but the point is that you have options, and you’re sure to find something now that will suit nicely.

Here’s another reason to text more: If you don’t, this can prove to cut you off from certain businesses and people you know.

On a final note for the older crowd out there, texting is absolutely not something only used by people under 40. I know people in their 50s and 60s who text regularly, and if they can do it, so can you.

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