texting 101

Discussion in 'Software' started by CatT, Apr 22, 2010.

  1. CatT

    CatT I can't follow the rules

    i used to send msgs to friends' phones a lot from websites like "bigfoot(?)" or "SMS-something" or other things I've long since forgotten. in some cases, it was easier to do via the app "chikka", but often there was just an HTML form online with "Subject:... Number:... Message...". somehow it got it to them, tho i was always a little hazy on the details.

    then at some point it occured to me that sending a plain ole EMAIL to [number]@[msgforwarder].com -- like 876-555-1234@verizontexting.com -- would accomplish the same thing! so i stopped using bigfoot and chikka for the most part. but i kept on sending (and receiving) txts no problem...including to a lot of friends who lived or were stationed abroad.

    note that i didn't have a cellphone, so i never quite grasped the basics of how a text was NORMALLY sent. do you go into some special "mode" and then dial up the recipients number? or do u need to preload them into some sort of "texting app" and the whole thing takes place looking like online messaging (MSM/Y!/AIM)?

    in any case, i still don't have a cell but i'd like to resume PC-to-phone texting. it's been so long, i'm confused even by what i USED to know. any good place to start...especially in terms of a website or an app where it's all self-evident, i.e., where i can get a quick message out NOW...then study in depth LATER?

    more importantly, how does one identify the "service" of the recipient? if i need to know it explicitly (like that "verizontexting" in my example), can it be reverse-engineered from the target number? when you do realworld texting (cell-to-cell), do you need to ask the person ahead of time?

    or is TARGET NUMBER itself enough to send a message? i rly don't want to ASK them for any other particulars! (hoping to send FIRST msg by surprise; after that, i can deal with whatever cooperation/coordination is necessary for further interaction)

    TIA!

    PS: mainly want to do US domestic this time around. in case that's a factor.
     

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