Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Texting…texting…

OK, so, as a further example of how behind the times I am…I was instructed to text ‘blah’ to 67286728672867286917692876 to set up one of the applications on my new Treo.

Which, by the way, I am loving. It does this thing that my old Treo didn’t do? It’s called ringing when there’s an incoming phone call?

In other news, I’m way more popular than I thought I was! Three calls a month? HA! Three a day, minimum! And it isn’t just my new clients calling, either!

I’m…too pop’lar fer my phone…too pop’lar fer my phone…

Ahem. Anyway. So. Text…text ‘blah’ to…hmm.

I had to go online and look up Texting for Dummies to figure out how to ‘text’ something to someone.

OMG, I am the only human being in the world who doesn’t instinctively know how to text ‘lurve’ to 2768276827692765 for my love horoscope!

I’ve figured out instant messaging, because we used it at work – extensively. When you’re working with people who are physically far-flung (Seattle, Portland, Davis, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, etc.), the IM thing is groovy. Just like hanging your head over their cubicle wall for a mini-conference or quick answer to something.

And just as annoying, too. Working, working, working, thinking, working, think- {BOOP!} IM Window jumps up in front of whatever I was doing!!

Coworker: got sec? dsn is conf. pls advs?
Me: WTH? Can you say that with English words, please?
Coworker, five minutes later: Do you have a second? The DubraiServiceNetwork is not responding, do you have any suggestions?
Me: Oooooooh! Yeah. It has a slow memory leak, it gets clogged every few weeks. Shut down the B server, count to ten, then bring it back up. Then pester Dan about fixing the issue.
Coworker: K-thx!
Me: Sigh (But at least I understood that one.)

For someone who has spent way more time than really I ought to admit to on Internet bulletin boards and the like…I am surprisingly flummoxed by the ever-evolving ‘IM/Texting slang’ thing. I even find myself having to sound out what the LOLCats are saying, sometimes.

Sigh.

A dinosaur already, at the tender age of forty…anyway. Now that I know how, I suppose I ought to get back to it…the texting thing, I mean…

13 comments:

ellipsisknits said...

Dude, I'm a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24. And I work in computers!

My *mother* is annoyed that I don't 'do' texting since that's her preferred way to talk to my siblings.

I've done my share of message boards, and the IM thing too, but I cut it short at the slang. Anybody who can't type out the rest of the letters in 'pls' (or 'plz') obviously doesn't really mean it.

Yes, I'm the grouchy old lady of the internet.

Leoal said...

I think its funny that you work with all kinds of fancy code and that texting is difficult and newfangled. It's like a bosun who can't tie his shoes. Or a CIA code operative who can't figure out the cryptogram in the paper.

I have no problem with texting. However, I have no clue when it comes to any kind of code, I can barely manage this and the only reason I figured out how to put a line through words on my blog was by looking at the source code for yours (thanks by the way)

Threeundertwo said...

This reminds me of that cingular commercial. So funny. Go to youtube and search on "cingular bff jill"

Rena said...

Want to really feel behind the times? Have you heard of the book that was written on a phone and is all texting? Hugely popular in Japan. I give it another year before it's big here too.

how the heck do you edit that?

Anonymous said...

No worries. When we're all old we can hang out at the nursing home together and do that weird thing...what's it called? Oh yeah, TALKING!

Louiz said...

My best friend from school and I sent letters, real written letters, to each other... how dinosaur is that?!

Fibra Artysta said...

I have no idea how to text. I refuse to learn. And I only set up IM at work after my boss grumbled at me and made me feel guilty.

When I'm at work you can reach me one of the following ways: phone, email, IM, cell phone or online conference.

Apparently everyone's legs stop working once they enter the building since even people two rows over can't be bothered to get up and come talk to me when they need something.

There are some times when technology is the devil.

Trina said...

I don't use the texting slang. I can figure most of it out and translate but I will not use it myself. Mostly because of "LOL". Early on in this IM/email/text world I kept seeing LOL and I didn't know what it meant (stupid me was too shy to ask)... I thought it was Lots Of Love. Too bad it really meant people were laughing at me (or perhaps with me... ), Hah!

Judy said...

Your aren't as alone as you think. I don't do the texting thingy either and have no desire to.

geekch1ck said...

Hahahaha!!! I don't do the "IM speak" either, which annoys my daughter to no end. The closest I get is LOL. It used to annoy my coworkers, also because it would take me a whole half minute to type out my responses in english, as opposed to their 15 seconds for text speak.

I, too, am a grouchy old lady on the internet.

PipneyJane said...

Am I the only one who wants to know about your phone - what model it is, what features it has, how good the camera is, how big it is, etc, etc?

- Pam (geek)

Yarnhog said...

What is this "texting" you speak of?

Lydee said...

thx 4 the laf; y r 2 fny!
:-)