Hey guys,

Simple question, do you prefer to call someone or text them? I just realized that so far today I've received 23 texts and sent 22, and it's not even noon yet! Conversely I've made and received no phone calls.

I know this is a difficult question, because it compares two different things. I mean the sheer # of texts is a good indication of how much one texts, whereas the number of phone calls isn't very informative since you could call one person and talk for hours or make five, two-minute, phone calls. I guess length of time is a better indication.

Of course then you've got to take into consideration things like impersonal phone calls made to business in which you're on hold or going through the automated system. So really use any measure you like to come up with your answer.

Personally, I tend to text on a much more regular basis, but most of the time if it's something important I opt for phone calls. For some things though texting is far superior in my opinion. For example statements or brief things you need to tell someone, or even simple questions.

Also, with some people texting might not be an option. My mom and pretty much all of my immediate family don't text, so that's just not an option.

I voted that it depends on the person and what I want to convey for the first one, and for the second I voted that I text more.

Have a great day all
-Kevin

For short things yes texting is great, but if you don't have a phone, that is great for texting or not a fast texter, texting is a pain. longer convo's I'd rather call. also if you text alot, please get an unlimited text plain, or that phone bill is big.

If it's some short messages or just things to inform, I rather text. And it's so much more economical. Btw, how's the bill counted over there? Here for 160 characters or less, you pay for one message- 60 cents. Which is half the price of one-minute call.

I'm not the type to talk on phone for like huge amount. I just get the important message and that's it. OMG. I'm so mechanical!!

Yay for text.

And yeah, the good thing is that you can store the text you like. This way, when you have nothng to do, you can go through them and smile, recalling sweet memories. Often, I do that.

Take care,
Ieshwar

The plan I have is unlimited. Which means I pay $9.99 a month and it doesn't matter how many or how few texts I send or how long or short they are.

I think ten cents a text is pretty standard if you don't have a plan like that though. I believe there is a character limit for that one...not sure what it is though, quite possibly 160.


Yes, that is fun to do

I can't do that anymore though
My phone automatically deletes texts that are more than 5 days old. I can increase the time period or stop it altogether...but if I do that the phone doesn't work as well. It freezes up, and aspects related to both talk and text get all funky. It seems to be unrelated, at least directly, to storage since it looks like I have plenty. But, nevertheless the more texts I have the more likely the phone is to get funky. If I have it set to delete them after more than 5 days (or cancel it altogether) it gets full too quickly and acts weird. I guess I could take the setting off and try to be really diligent about deleting messages...but I'm too lazy for that

I definitely prefer calls. I do like instant messaging though. I cannot live w/o it.

Well, I used to like IM, but over the last couple of years I've pretty much stopped.

I only get on messengers for very specific reasons nowadays, and usually only if someone asks me too.

Email is an also a phenomenally bad way to reach me!

I prefer to call and talk to someone. Texting has it time and purpose.

Business : normally text (Email, because you get an immediate answer) and you keep a written trace.
Private : normally call, because it's more fun than duty and I like teasing .

There's a business maxim that applies equally to personal communications: reprimand in person - congratulate in writing.

Telephone calls for something negative, like telling someone off or being angry.
Email or text or (gasp!) letter for something positive like congratulations or encouragement or admiration.

VoIP/telephone (especially video-phone) is better for real-time interactive discussions where tone of voice, inflections and facial expressions are as valuable as the words.

I prefer email for saying something meaningful and memorable. IRC/instant messenger (IM) for interactive and brain-storming where participants don't need to pay 100% attention to the communication itself. SMS for short statements like confirming ETAs when meeting friends - I don't like SMS for holding ongoing conversations.

I prefer voice and video for talking to friends since all the focus is on the conversation, unlike with IM or other forms where people are likely chatting to several others as well as doing other things. Waiting for the other person to reply is so annoying and, I think, often shows a lack of respect.

Kevin: for someone who spends so much time writing in forums I'm surprised you don't like email.

I'm not a technophile, so I was slow to get involved with texting. As a consequence, I rarely text -- it's usually in response to a text message I've received. Otherwise, I'll call or email. As has been indicated above, the major problem is that I'm not a fast texter, and I like my texts to be spelt correctly, which is a little painful....

I mainly text. It really depends on the person and the topic or reason for the contacting of the person. With my plan, I have 1500 texts a month, and that includes texts that I send and texts that are sent to me. Last month I was real close to my limit. I had 1483 texts last month.

I picked both of the last options. I hate talking to people over the phone, not to mention that I often can't hear them because of background noise or poor reception. Texting is easier to do, particularly on my enV (clamshell phone with full QWERTY keyboard on the inside). I don't personally text a lot, but I had to get a basic texting plan ever since my cousin somehow managed to get my number. She texts about 250 times a day, and my plan is 250 for a month, both sending and receiving. Her parents found it easier to get the $10 per month unlimited plan, whereas I picked the $5 basic 250 plan since I won't use that many texts in a month.

I don't like texting for conversations, but apparently my cousin likes have six text conversations going at once.

Who calls anymore? Honestly. Earlier today my best friend told me that he needed to talk to me but couldnt at the time. A little later he texted me that he was thinking of breaking up with his girlfriend but he wasnt sure and why and I texted back what I thought. Altogether, 4 texts.

I hate texting with a phone. It's very difficult to say anything.

I think texting is the wave of the future More and more people are into texting, because it's more impersonal, and for some people you don't know too well, it's easier to text than to talk on the phone.

That's why I picked it depends on who the person is that I'm trying to contact. If it's my parents, or someone who I must talk with urgently, then a phone call is obviously quicker and more effiecient.

Plus, as a student, texting is convenient. I can do it during lecture, or if someone wants to ask me to hang out after class, they can text and I can reply instantly. With a phone, well, I'd have to step out of the room and all that stuff. However, I try not to go too overboard with the texts. I have unlimited with the same network users, but limited out-texting and that kills me.

I really like email communication. Then text. I can stop and take breaks. With the phone, I have to give my undivided attention. And depending on the person, you don't always want to give your undivided attention!

I voted depends on person and text.
The depends is because of the fact that I have many people that I don't want to speak with because we end up only talking for a moment for a question while others I talk longer with others.
And I text more often because it's cheaper then talking on the phone.

For me, it depends on what I want to convey...if it's a long message, I'll call. If its something short and sweet, text message suits me.

I agree. In fact one of the main reasons I rarely IM anymore is because I got tired of waiting for replies. I admit that when I do IM I expect the person to respond fairly quickly. If he/she doesn't I usually feel like I'm wasting my time talking to them and if I'm not going to have an actual conversation, I'd usually prefer to shut the messenger off and completely focus on whatever else I might be doing. I actually do enjoy "intense" IM conversations (even about casual stuff ), but if the person takes more than about 30 seconds to a minute to reply (or at least for it to notify me that they're typing a response), I usually start to feel like it's time to end the conversation. I realize that this is a highly demanding and probably atypical way to view IM. Thus, I realize and acknowledge that in all likelihood the person isn't trying to disrespect me and means no offense. I don't take it personally or anything. Nevertheless, I just don't want to do it if I'm not going to get prompt responses.

Most people are, but believe me I can go weeks (or longer) without checking my email. The only thing I like to use email for is to send and receive documents, pictures, etc. As an actual means of communication I can't stand it and don't think to use it. A good friend of mine likes email. One afternoon he insisted (well he didn't insist be kept doing it and then telling me to check my email) on corresponding with me via email. We weren't sending or receiving anything. It drove me crazy! The next time I saw him I told him, "I don't like email, please just call or text me." Really it didn't make sense to me at all. He's a very proficient texter, everything he was emailing me could have been texted almost as quickly, and I almost always have my phone near me, I'm usually not logged into my email, and even if I am, I'm not checking it obsessively.

I do like PMs though, as well as any other internal communication a site or program might have. Having to have a separate browser open to my email - and remembering to check it - is just one more thing I don't really want to do.



It can be very convenient. Anytime you're waiting anywhere you can use the opportunity to catch up with your friends. Even if they can't read it and respond right away most people appreciate getting a message, especially if it's something nice and friendly, so it's like a way of saying, "hey, I'm thinking of you". To me it's an ideal way to maximize my time. Instead of waiting I'm strengthening and maintaining bonds

It's also a lot more person than phone conversations. I've always been the sort of person that liked to be alone when I was on phone. Again it mostly comes down to an attention thing. Anytime I'm communicating with someone I want to give and receive full attention, so I don't want to be distracted by other people talking, and I don't particularly want them "up in my business", so texts are just more private and intimate. Wherever you are you can carve out a little cocoon for just you and the other person

I almost never uses Txt for the simple reason that in my cell plans, it's completely horrible and way too expensive for me to send text. I'll simply make the phone call.

Now, if I'm at home,, I'll also call, but I'll IMs much more. I can't do without my IMs.

OMG, if it wasn't for IMs, I'd never talk to half of my friends, lol. Also it's more efficient I can talk to many friends at once. I do use IMs a fair bit because sometimes I just need to ask one question and don't need to go through all the formalities of a phone call. Although the chance for miscommunication is higher on texts since the messages tend to be short.

I do not remember how communication was possible before instant messaging. It is wonderful.

My friends who do not instant message, I barely know they exist, lol.

I love my IM services. I can't live without them and I've meet many a person via IM.

LOL, well I live just fine with very little IM-ing in my life.

I can live without my phone, and have been doing so for the past two weeks, but I can't live without my IM. I once went a week without my computer and IM services. I snarled at everyone.
Like I said, can live without the phone, not my IM. It's just easier in the long run for me to type things out then it is to say it or to text it. Or at least for me.

Well, I would freak out without my computer! LOL, basically if I'm at home in the first place I'm either at my computer or in bed. I occasionally do other things when I'm at home, but they're seriously statistically negligible

well, for sure the nice thing about text based communication (whether it be text messages, IMs, or forum posts), is that you get to think things over and decide exactly how you want to phrase something before sending it. I think we've all occasionally said something we've regretted, either because it was stupid, hasty, mean, or whatever. I'm not saying this doesn't happen in "written" communication as well - because certainly it does - but at least we do have a few extra seconds to think before it's "out there."

That's basically what I did. I lost all of my links, chapters for one of my stories that is now on hiatus until I can rewrite the chapters, and my other important files when my hard drive died. It sucked big.



Oh yeah. It's certainly made my life easier to be able to read what I'm about to say. It's saved me a few times. I have this really bad habit of just saying what's on my mind and I tend to tick people off when I do that. I find it a bit funny really, but it's true.
But, push comes to shove, I'll take IMing over texting, and texting over phone calls.

I agree about instant messaging. However, I prefer phones over texting. I actually like talking to people. Maybe I'm old-fashioned.

Well if I'm telling someone that they forgot the milk or something short like that, then yeah, texting is easier and faster. Nine times out of ten, though, I'll call. I usually text only when I'm busy with something else, or just goofing around.

I prefer to IM when it goes on sporadically throughout the day with brief comments back and forth.

Generally though I prefer to talk. If nothing else it's because I do so much typing as a software developer, webmaster, and charter member of the PPC, that my hands hurt all the time. So anything I can do to take a break from that is most welcomed.

Skype is my preferred method of talking and videoconferencing with friends all over the world.

For my best friends I prefer the plain old-fashioned telephone.

Interesting poll, Kevvers. Thanks!

Eh, it maybe that you have an easier time of talking. Me, I'm not able to speak quite as well as I want to be able to, since my mind is faster then my mouth. If it's family, then yes, I will prefer to talk on the phone, or if its someone really close, yes, I'll talk to them via phone.

Nah, you're not old fashioned. You're just real. It's harder to fake things when you can hear the other person's voice. It's easier to make a connection with someone when you can talk to them. Even on the phone or via Skype if it can't be face-to-face.

That is true. It is harder to fake emotions or thoughts when talking with a person. I'll eventually be adding Skype to my way of talking with people since there are people that I would love to talk with and hear their voice. I find that if you listen to a person speaking long enough, you can learn all sorts of things about their thought process and the way they feel about things. I'll still take an IM session over a phone. Holding the head set hurts after a while.

I use a Bluetooth wireless headset for talking on the phone or on Skype.

I don't have either, unfortunatly. I will eventually. I hope.

Well, I actually pretty much agree with you guys, but I'll offer a different stance just for the sake of shining a new angle on things.

I just got off the phone with my best friend, and the conversation was quite serious and one about emotions and feelings. Not even really our emotions and feelings for each other (although a bit), but more about our emotions and feelings in general.

Anyway, I actually consider myself pretty good at talking about this kind of stuff. I think chances are I do it better than the average person because it's something I've really worked at and I try pretty hard to be in tune with my own emotions and those of my friends.

Well, point was, I had all these things, these emotions in my head that I wanted to express, and I did...but they didn't come out quite right. Like I know I got the gist of it across, but it was sort of like I was thinking one thing and heard myself saying it, and it was like I was saying to myself, "that's not quite right!". It was close but the connotations and shades of meaning were slightly off.

I feel pretty certain that I could have actually expressed myself much more accurately over some sort of written communication. Now don't get me wrong. I definitely think the phone was a better option for this conversation overall. And chances are it was even more emotionally meaningful because of the actual voices and stuff. But just in terms of accurate expression I know it would have been better in a written, text based form.

-Kevin

There's no doubt that sometimes it's best to take your time and make sure you get the words just right. That's one reason I love my word processor. And yet I'm willing to bet your friend got the gist of what you were trying to convey just from the sound of your voice alone. Even if the words weren't to your satisfaction. A good idea might be to talk with him/her again just to see if you made the points you were trying to make. Or perhaps follow-up with an e-mail to reinforce the points you were trying to make.

That's exactly why I prefer phone conversations. It is easier to get a sense of the other person's emotions. It's also easier on the fingers.

It certainly is, personally since the time I first posted this I've become convinced that for the most part texting is far more efficient and generally preferable to me, but there are quite a few times when I read a text and imagine 2 or 3 completely different tone of voice and inflections that the person might have been 'thinking' when they said that, and wondering just what they did mean.

For transmitting pure information or making quick plans I think texting is easier though. The majority of things I text people I'd feel silly calling them up to tell them, and quite often I've been in settings in which I can text, and actively want to, but wouldn't be able to carry on a voice conversation.

I also find that I have a slightly easier time staying in touch with my texting my friends as opposed to the ones who don't text. Often I have only a few minutes (or as I said above can text but not talk), so I'll bash out a quick friendly/playful/informational text to someone I know who texts, but will think "well so and so doesn't text so I'll have to call them later" and often I forget or don't have time. As a result this translates to more physical time spent with my text buddies as we make plans or just actively remain in each other's lives and minds.

Of course I know this is just one of my biases to some extent as well. For example I'm horrible about email and pretty bad about IM too. I just DON'T like to communicate in those ways and I'm rarely willing to do it, and when I do it's generally because I feel obliged rather than want to. As a result I know I've missed out on, and lost touch with, several of my friends. I also know that it drives people crazy that I won't myspace or facebook.

When it comes down to it these obstacles can be overcome by one person making concessions to the other's preferred way of communicating, but on some level there's always going to be some diminishing as a result of one of the two people being unwilling to communicate in one of the prevalent ways.

People can call or text me, but if they're already on myspace and messaging other people they'd probably prefer to do that and are more likely to not bother with calling or texting me at all. I recognize that and often think "well I guess I'll get one"...but I just don't want to.



-Kevin