Blocking Texting

[crokett]

After I got a rash of spam and phishing texts that I had to pay for per text over the last few weeks I called my provider and found out they can block texting on my phone. It is free to do, at least with Sprint. If you don't have a texting plan on your phone you might want to look into it.

[cabinetman]

Is that like a "do not text list"? I just don't understand the need to text. I'd rather just get a call, or make a call.
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[Kristofor]

For me texting is better for some things due to its asynchronous nature.

If the wife wants to tell me to pickup milk, bread, dish soap, etc. I don't need to be interrupted in a meeting for that. A voicemail would work but now I need to remember that list or write it down anyhow. I can read faster than people generally speak so it also saves some (minor) amount of time.

When my brother was in Japan if he sent a text in the middle of the night that wouldn't bother/wake me. If he called it generally would (one of our critical IT systems runs 24x7 and costs us >$100,000K/hr when it's down so my phone is always on)

Since I use a Blackberry an email would work just as well (better in some regards). However, there are fewer points of possible failure/delay with an SMS message than with email and you can set custom notifications for SMS messages (vibrate vs. do nothing for email).

[Mr__Bill]

Incoming text for me is free (US Cellular) which is good as I receive a lot of them. I don't text back so I have never signed up for the unlimited sending text feature.

For many providers text or SMS is not guaranteed, that is just because you sent it and your phone says it's sent doesn't mean that it's really on the way or will ever be received. Texting between providers is less reliable. E-mail at least has safeguards in that the design of the system is to try many times until confirmation is received that it's in the recipients in-box at his service provider. At least one or two texts a month, that I know of, don't make it through to me. Since it's in the senders best interest that I receive the text it's not like they are claiming to have sent what they didn't send, although I don't rule out some user error.

Bill
over here on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[crokett]

Cabman, no, it just puts a block on your phone so it can't send or receive texts. I realize some people use texting, I never do. I would rather have people call me.

[JoeyGee]

That was the first thing I did when I got my T-Mobile phone. I use my phone very little--LOML and my parents are the only ones with the number. Paying for spam texts would put me over the edge.