Cell Phone Texting Etiquette, its History and Usage

The SMS concept was developed in the Franco-German GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) cooperation in 1984 by Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert. The innovation in SMS is Short. The GSM is optimized for telephony, since this was identified as its main application. It was necessary to limit the length of the messages to 128 bytes (later improved to 140 bytes, or 160 seven-bit characters) so that the messages could fit into the existing signaling formats.

SMS was first used in December 1992, when Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old test engineer for Sema Group (now Airwide Solutions), used a personal computer to send the text message "Merry Christmas" via the Vodafone network to the phone of Richard Jarvis.

When texting first came out, it was originally intended for businessmen. It was very expensive and not a realistic option for people who weren’t wealthy. When texting began, they were able to send up to 140 bytes that translated to 160 characters of the English alphabet.

Initial growth of text messaging was slow, with customers in 1995 sending on average only 0.4 messages per GSM customer per month. One factor in the slow take-up of SMS was that operators were slow to set up charging systems, especially for prepaid subscribers, and eliminate billing fraud, which was possible by changing SMSC settings on individual handsets to use the SMSCs of other operators.

SMS is available on a wide range of networks, including 3G networks. However, not all text messaging systems use SMS, and some notable alternate implementations of the concept include J-Phone's "SkyMail" and NTT Docomo's "Short Mail", both in Japan. E-mail messaging from phones, as popularized by NTT Docomo's i-mode and the RIM BlackBerry, also typically use standard mail protocols such as SMTP over TCP/IP.

Since the 2000s, text message use has continued to grow. Mobile phone carriers have created service plans meant for individuals who primarily text for communication. Some individuals have mobile phones that are only used for texting and do not have an active calling plan. According to Cellsigns statistics, the average wireless user was receiving 357 text messages while only receiving 204 phone calls.

Today text messaging is the most widely used mobile data service, with 74% of all mobile phone users worldwide or 2.4 billion out of 3.3 billion phone subscribers at end of 2007 being active users of the Short Message Service. In countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway, over 85% of the population use SMS. The European average is about 80% and North America is rapidly catching up with over 60% active users of SMS by end of 2008. The largest average usage of the service by mobile phone subscribers is in the Philippines with an average of 27 texts sent per day by subscriber.

As mobile technology continues to grow, the use of text messaging has also changed. For example, Blackberry and iPhone users are able to view and read text messaging as one continued conversation rather than having to change screens to read previous messages. Text messaging has also become a marketing tool for some companies, who send multiple messages to customers the same way email blasts are used. Programs are also being created to send money transfers using text messages.

As with any new form of technology, text messaging has faced numerous challenges. Users complain of unsolicited spam text messages that are sent to their phone. Some carriers have charged their users for these texts even though they are unauthorized. Texting while driving has become a major concern in the country. Politicians are working on a federal ban of texting while driving; many states have adopted laws against the action. A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported that a risk of crashing is 23 times greater than normal if texting while driving [19].

Despite of an absolute utility of text messaging it can cause problems. Text messaging has had an impact on students academically, by creating an easier way to cheat on exams. In December 2002, a dozen students were caught cheating on an accounting exam through the use of text messages on their mobile phones. In December 2002, Hitotsubashi University in Japan failed 26 students for receiving e-mailed exam answers on their mobile phones.

The number of students caught using mobile phones to cheat on exams has increased significantly in recent years. According to Okada (2005), most Japanese mobile phones can send and receive long text messages of between 250 and 3000 characters with graphics, video, audio, and web links. In England, 287 school and college students were excluded from exams in 2004 for using mobile phones during exams. Some teachers and professors claim that advanced texting features can lead to students cheating on exams.

Cell phones have very quickly become an integral part of our everyday lives as we can communicate through phone calls or text-message from virtually anywhere. Text messaging is one of the simplest and most useful means of mobile communication. As the use of cell phones grows, it becomes more important to understand the speech etiquette rules applied to cell phone texting usage, which include following ways of speech behaving while communicating by messaging.

One of the most important rules in text messaging etiquette is keeping phone on vibrate when at work or in a quiet public place such as a movie or theater. Nothing is more annoying than the perpetual texter who does not silence there phone. No one wants to hear one’s text beep every five minutes.

One should keep them short, when needs to write someone an in-depth message, sends an e-mail. Otherwise, one gives a person ring or sees in person. Long texts can be confusing or tough to respond to.

It should be remembered that SMS is informal. SMS should not be used for formal invitations or to dump one’s girlfriend or boyfriend. The casualness of SMS diminishes the strength and meaning of the message. It is appropriate to use fun graphics, but there should not be too much. There is nothing quite likes getting a wink or kiss from a partner or spouse via text message, as this encourages flirtation and fun. But, reserving smiley's for a few text messages to keeps messages special.

One should be aware of his/her tone. It is extremely difficult to discern tone in text messages, just as in e-mail. What seems to be a completely innocuous message may be grossly misinterpreted by the recipient, causing certain discomfort if not irreparable harm [21].

Using cell phone to text-message while driving has become something of a dangerous epidemic to both driver and passengers. There are more and more car accidents every year because of people trying to type with their thumbs while driving. Text messaging while driving is rude to passengers because one is showing blatant disregard for their safety as well as ignoring whatever conversation that may be going on. If one needs to know immediately what the text message says and respond to it, politely explains the situation to one his/her passengers and asks them to read the text message and type the response for him/her. If one is uncomfortable asking passengers to read the text message, waits until one is somewhere more private where it is possible to read and respond to the message oneself. When one is a passenger in the car and is receiving text messages, also remembers that it is rude to disregard the other people to respond to a message. If it cannot wait, explains to his/her fellow passengers that one need to respond immediately and do so quickly. Otherwise, one waits until is in a more private location and not engaged in conversation before responding [19].

While talking it is not acceptableto i one waits until is in a more private location and not engaged in conversation before responding [19].

While talking it is not acceptableto interrupt the conversation with the person whom one is with to answer a text message. It suggests to the person with whom one is speaking that one is not interested in what he/she is saying. The same rule applies to text-messaging while also talking with someone over cell phone [19].

When at a social event such as a movie, concert, classroom or theatrical production, it is rude to interrupt the performance by text-messaging, particularly in places where it is dark, such as a movie theater, where the lights on one’s phone can be distracting to others. A phone should be put on silent mode and messages checked after the event.

There is no agreed-upon maximum number of text messages one can send to someone in a certain period without becoming a pest or a source of dread. How often one can safely text someone depends on how close one is with that person, the importance of the information conveying, and the timing of the texts.

It is acceptable to respond to a text message with a phone call, an e-mail message, or any other form of communication. The recipient is free to choose the medium of the response, or even whether to respond at all. Similarly, there is no strict rule governing how promptly a person should respond to a text or instant message. The recipient may reply at any convenient time, though in general text messaging and IM are most appropriate for subjects of some urgency.

It should be remembered that SMS can be traced. Anonymous messages – if one must send them – are still best sent from Web sites.