Senior Texting

[ASAdog]

My daughter thinks I'm a dinosaur (I prefer being considered an anachronism) just because she thinks she has to drag me, kicking and screaming, into current technology. She's on a "texting" kick with her cell phone (or whatever she calls it) right now and doesn't understand why I don't respond to her texts with my own texting.

I tried to explain that I just prefer actually speaking to a person who is actually listening as I speak and hearing the tone, inflection and tempo of their returned speech (as well as their choice of words). I find this a much more personal and telling approach that adds to the understanding of the person's communication; and besides, I don't understand the "codes" she uses such as FWIW. She shot back "You have memorized the ballistics tables for a hundred different cartridges, memorized more history than any of my history instructors have, can recall infinitesimal facts, spent twenty years working in electronics intelligence and signals analysis as an intelligence analyst, but you can't figure out text codes?". (Notice that she skippped right past anything I said about" personal approach"?)

So, now that I'm past 55 years of age, I've decided to join her, but she has to learn my senior texting codes. To wit -

ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Farted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGPBL: Gotta Go,Pacemaker Battery Low
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IFWIJR: I forgot what I just read
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
MHABJD: My Hearing Aid Battery Just Died.
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL-CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WAMCK: Where Are My Car Keys?
WDIPT: Where Did I Put That?
WITORCRW Walked In The Other Room Can't Remember Why
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where're The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil



Peace,

[Ghosth]

I'm a bit like you only more so, I pretty much refuse to have anything to do with Cell Phones.

When I'm home I have a land line right handy in virtually every room, when I'm out, well I'm out.
Don't want to be bothered if I'm down fishing or picking up movies or grocery's.

I figure if they really need to reach me, they'll try back later or leave a message on the machine.

I can handle the abbreviations just not the mindset that you need to be connected all the time.

I actually fear today's younger generation are going to lose the ability to communicate in any way except through a phone.

[daddog]

Most of my kids friends have cell phones and are texting on a regular basis. When I went to Washington D.C. last year with Jed on his 8th grade trip I would guess out of the 12 or so students that went all but 3 had cell phones and would text each other on a regular basis. Jed was one that did not have one. Out of the 5 adults that went, 2 did not have the 'texting' technology and one was me. I have a cell phone so does Gloria. We bought them years ago for $20 at Walmart. Our plan is the cheapest as possible. At&T, $25 for 3 months. We only use them 2 or 3 times a week so in about 3 months we have used up the $25 so it works out well.

Just this Christmas I broke down and bought Sarah and Jed a new cell phone each, the $14.95 model. lol Bought them the same plan as we use. $25 for 3 months. Used only for talking. The phones are not designed for surfing, e-mail, texting. Just talking and that is fine with me. They are quite happy with them. I figured since they are in high school it would be a good time. Jed often wrestles late and his Saturday meets are often out of town. I wanted him to have a cell phone. Sarah is not too far away from getting her drivers lic so I wanted her to have one too.

Dicho sent me his Samsung cell phone and I just started using that a month ago. That thing is great! I love it and my kids do too! LOL I still have the same cheap plan so I don't do any texting or surfing, e-mails and such, but with that touch phone I could. I has some nice features I am starting to use. Alarms, calendar to name a couple. I am quite happy with it. In time I might break down and get us a family plan, but they are so expensive.

Anyway thanks for the list ASA. It is a help because many of my students feel the same way about me as your daughter does about you. lol They were surprised I 'knew' what "LOL" was. The boys tease me because I am not up on the latest Gameboy, Xbox370, and all those other gaming systems. They asked if Jed plays games. I replied yes and one of his favorites is Modern Warfare 2 they wanted to hook up and play. I told them he played on a computer and they really looked down on that which cracked me up.

[Malap]

He he I'm a geek http://www.htc.com/us/products/evo-sprint?extcid=Evo-GoogleSEM&jkId=8a8ae4cc2bc71f86012be5d2a52e386a&jt=1&jadid=5772768250&js=1&jk=HTC%20EVO&jsid=20718&jmt=1&&gclid=CN6fvc_2lqYCFcnc4AodggySnA LOL

I don't have a landline, i even use it for international calls to talk to my sister in England on a weekly basis. and we text each other a lot.

[Dichodog]

I've been somewhat assimilated but I refuse to answer a third text with anything more than 'call me if you want to talk'.  I'm never more that 20 minutes away from any computer and my phone is always with me.  The only real advantage I've found from being able to get online with my phone is for directions if I need them.  Other than that I always carry a book with me if I'm bored

[ASAdog]

Note: Sorry, this is a long one. (Help! I've started typing and I can't stop!)

Ghosth:

I'm a bit like you only more so, I pretty much refuse to have anything to do with Cell Phones.

I really am an anachronism (somewhat "born out of time") and dream of simpler earlier times, but I'm kinda forced to have a cell phone. Between my job requirements (being "on call") and my wife's health conditions, having quick communications is important for me. Also, the LEO in me (and I'm still a Boy Scout at heart) sees that having a cell phone available to me for those oops moments is important - such as for calling 911 when I see an emergency or need for other calls for service.

daddog:

My eldest daughter works for Verizon, so (to help her out) I ended up with much more cell phone and cell phone features (most of which I don't use) than I would have chosen on my own, but I did get some pretty good discounts thanks to her.

I have most of the Call of Duty (PC) games, including MW2. For Christmas I got Call of Duty - Black Ops. I love killin' Zombies. Maybe Jed, or You and I should join up for a Call of Duty (any one of the series) co-op mission?

The basic CoD - BO campaigns are set in the '61 to '68 time frame, so the missions sound like just bad ol' times to me .

I was only six y/o during the Bay of Pigs fiasco and 7 y/o during the  Cuban Missile Crises, but they affected me when my Dad's Navy Reserve unit was activated for them, and I was in my teens when my older brother was serving in Viet Nam, '66 to '69. Too many of the "younger" (under 40 y/o) folks that I work or associate with don't know anything about Robert McNamara, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crises, Khe Sanh or Hue, so I've had some fun in ribbing them on their lack of fairly recent American history - you know, the stuff that leads us to where we are today and their effects on today's political decisions. History for me is the window to see how we got to where we are, as well as the knowledge to fuel my day dreams of how I would have fit into the times past.

Malap:

I don't have a landline, i even use it for international calls to talk to my sister in England on a weekly basis. and we text each other a lot.

If'n your happy with that, then I'm happy for you.

In my household I insist on one dedicated (hard wired) land line phone. Power failures don't normally affect them and cell towers aren't always within range nor always work as expected. Example: During a small earthquake here (no damage, just a little shaking and rolling) a few years back, the cell tower usage was in overload and cell phone communication was basically lost for many including for me and I was an emergency responder. Good thing I had my radio transceiver and landlines. I love old tech, it almost always works for basic needs!

E-mail on the other hand I use extensively, but I can still write an old fashioned snail mail letter if I want or need to.

Dichodog:

The only real advantage I've found from being able to get online with my phone is for directions if I need them.

Have you tried learning how to use a map and compass? They don't need batteries or a signal. I can teach you how to use them if you need help.

All:

I spent a good part of my life dealing with new technology. My military job dealt with intercept and analysis of electromagnetic signals, exploiting them, interfering with them, and associating them with threat systems. I was even a Test Engineer conducting  Research, Test, Development and Evaluation for new Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Systems for several years. I don't fear new tech and see its advantages, I just don't fully trust it - it is exploitable, can be interfered with, and we have become too dependent on it and at the same time we tend to lose simpler skills and technology that will be crucial backups if the new tech fails us in a time of crises.

Oh, as you know, the Senior Texting Codes is a joke. Have a little fun with my senior citizen musings - now that I'm officially a "Senior Citizen". Don't be so serious - geez.

WAITT, SGGP (Look it up  )

[rkanjl]

Love it ASA, funny stuff.  Daddog, sorry to say it but you make your students case with the X-Box "370", lol. 

While I wholeheartedly embrace modern technology, I have often said that the more ways we use it to communicate the less we actually do.  We also seem to invent a method to counter each effort to connect us.  First came the telephone and then came caller ID, answering machines and voice mail.  While the original intent may have been to keep us connected it seems to be used more to avoid people.

I am constantly amazed at work at how long it takes to get the simplest things accomplished with the never ending voice mails, emails, online meetings etc.  It takes days to accomplish what one two minute phone conversation would do if only someone would answer the darned thing.  Hard to blame them though, they probably need the extra time to MAKE A DECISION, lol...but I digress.

We could start a whole new thread on another one of my pet peeves, how text messaging is totally destroying the English language.  If you can't spell or form a complete sentence or better yet, complete a coherent thought should you even be allowed to use a keyboard?

 
  rkanjl

[Dichodog]

ASA



got a mapsco in my car just in case

[Malap]

It cost me $35 a month just for a landline and international dialing. It costs me $10 a month to put international dialing on my cell phone. The landline constantly got telemarketers my cell, never. I also have skype. A couple of years ago Cincinatti got hit with a hurricane from Texas and i was without power for four days. I kept my phone charged off my portable jumpstarter and got an intermittent connection.
However almost comms can be easily severed by nature.

[OSU]

This feels really weird being the only teenager on the boards right now. 

I text, but my phone sucks so not as often as some people. I'll rarely have a long conversation with someone over texting. If it is going to take a while, I'd rather call them. I view my cell phone as a necessity, not so much as a convenience. There are times when I've really needed the thing and it has helped out a lot.

As for Xbox 360 games, I've only got 4.  The only games worth mentioning are Assassin's Creed II and Rainbow Six: Vegas, which is awesome. The two Rainbow Six Vegas games are WAY better first person shooters than Modern Warfail 2 or Black Ops.

PC games on the other hand, got too many to list here. The only ones I play with any regularity are the ton (I mean a TON) of Star Wars games that I have, Silent Hunter III, AH, and WoT.

[Flushed]

I'm 41 and I have an xbox 360. I only have three games though NCAA football, Madden Football, Rainbow Six Las Vegas.


ASA want to help me solve K4 of Kryptos? We'll be famous. I've been looking at it for 10 years now and all I know is it is not a classical cipher.

[daddog]

OSU is there a way for those on a PC to play with/against those on an Xbox? SunKing a former member was trying to do that with Bad Company, but not sure if he was able?

Good thread ASA.

[OSU]

Nope. At least not as far as I know. I highly doubt that its possible. It'd be pretty sweet if it was though.

[rkanjl]

Daddog, they have different servers for the consoles.  I've got a buddy who's a dedicated console gamer and there's no way we can play together.

[Drone]

Didn't somebody, somewhere, (I'm thinking Microsoft ) put together some cross-platform thing where console could compete against PCs and the PCs completely dominated the console guys?

[daddog]

I don't know, but I 'I think' SunKing was able to do it. He told me a couple months ago he about had it figured out. Then not long after that he was online playing Bad Company with the 'PC' players.

[mookdog]

 Go ahead and text me,just expect a call back asking "what the hell are you trying to say?"
I only have a cell phone and I got that for emergencies and to "call" friends.I could never
understand the lure of typing for 1 minute something you can say in 10 seconds.

[Dichodog]

I tried to get the SS this weekend of the scene when Dr Neville chases sam into the dark building.  I peeks around the corner and sees the zombies all in a huddle just barely moving up and down.

I was going to put balloons over their heads with 'check out my app', 'I'm texting my girlfriend',  'lol', etc.. above their heads.  Thats what a group of texters look like to me.

Squid and I went out for lunch saturday and there were three tables with people not talking just playing with their phones.  I really wished for a cell jammer at that point.

[OSU]

Hahaha, Robin Williams was talking about that. He says its really creepy when you walk into a Starbucks and you see a bunch of teenage girls texting and not talking, then one of them looks up and says, "I know." *Que Twilight Zone theme*