SMS-ing does not tell everything ... thankfully<\/p>\n
Message failed. Resend?<\/p>\n
The three words appeared on my cell phone screen while
\nattempting to send short messages to friends and family a few
\nminutes after the beginning of the new year.<\/p>\n
Not only did I miss the cherished moment to surprise and
\ncelebrate with my friends but, to my disappointment, I couldn't
\neven send short messages until the evening of Jan. 2.<\/p>\n
The operator at Telkomsel (I use the pre-paid Simpati card)
\nblamed it on an overloading of messages. I accepted the reason
\nbecause three main cellular operators in this country have just
\nagreed to a joint-SMS service last May, and SMS-ing (look for
\nthat term in the dictionary soon) has been surpassing the normal
\nphone conversation in sheer quantity.<\/p>\n
I can also understand the fact that not all cellular operators
\nare equipped with the technology to cope with the surging demand
\nfor better service (no late SMS, provide cell broadcast to inform
\nyou on the weather, stock exchange, sports results or even your
\nlocation, to name a few examples), while they periodically
\nincrease air time fees. What a shame.<\/p>\n
Despite the frustration, I opted to look on the bright side.<\/p>\n
It was like a miracle to me when I discovered some three years
\nago that I could actually relay short messages to anyone I wanted
\nwith a mobile phone.<\/p>\n
I remembered telling a superior in my office about SMS and how
\nto send it, helping him to type the service center number on his
\nphone and calling the operator to activate it (it took a few
\nhours before we could get going).<\/p>\n
SMS was not so popular at that time, maybe because there was
\nnext to no publicity. To me, SMS-ing has come to mean cutting
\ndown on my phone bill.<\/p>\n
The to-the-point nature of SMS, moreover, can save my breath,
\nwhile allowing me to tactfully engage in sometimes difficult
\nconversations.<\/p>\n
Across the continent, I can still SMS.<\/p>\n
I was on a safari adventure oceans away from Indonesia last
\nMarch, for example, watching two lionesses dining on a baby
\nantelope, and the communication with my boyfriend in Jakarta
\ncould still go on. I sent uninterrupted messages describing what
\nI saw, and I got the response, just as if we were chatting on the
\nphone.<\/p>\n
I made sure that he could \"see\" nearly the same way I did in
\nless than 160 characters (\"Do you send live reportage to your
\neditor?\" a colleague joked).<\/p>\n
While my colleagues were tickled pink to see me practically
\nglued to my mobile (as those traveling with me can testify), I
\nwas wondering why they, who came from more techno-hip lands like
\nMalaysia and the Philippines, were unaware of this means of
\neconomical communication, although some of them traveled with
\ntheir mobiles activated.<\/p>\n
And when they found out and gave it a try, some of them even
\nhad difficulties in setting the service center number!<\/p>\n
After that day, I saw my Filipino colleague SMS-ing all the
\ntime, instead of making international calls which were, of
\ncourse, expensive. She is a phone freak, according to her co-
\nworker, and has several mobile phones to accommodate various
\nkinds of people.<\/p>\n
SMS-ing from abroad to Indonesia with Telkomsel cost US$4
\ncents. So as to enhance the sensation, I also SMS-ed the
\naforementioned chief during my travels to shock him.<\/p>\n
It's worth noting that I don't lose touch with my loved one
\nwhenever I travel out of town or overseas, but that's if we're
\nboth equipped with the appropriate device, and we're willing to
\nrespond at any given moment.<\/p>\n
If I can't use my mobile, I can still send messages worldwide
\nfrom any free SMS websites in the Internet. Now we can even SMS
\ngraphics and ringtones. Some colleagues of mine have developed
\nthe habit of flirting with porn graphics and erotic messages. To
\nthem, those are the good things about SMS, anyway.<\/p>\n
But something is indeed missing. It's always difficult to dig
\nup one's motivation through phone conversation, let alone through
\nSMS.<\/p>\n
True, you can send tons of \"I love you\" graphics, accompanied
\nby the most romantic ringtone to your loved one until your
\nfingers cramp, but you may not feel any true passion spring from
\na mobile phone screen.<\/p>\n
There is no \"tender grasping\" sense that pops up at times when
\nwe realize that nature will take care of everything when we're
\noff-balance.<\/p>\n
I think there is no best way to express ourselves, it just
\ndepends on one's personal preference. SMS is a medium, like
\nletters, e-mail, newspapers, TV, radio, books and pamphlets. We
\ncan choose which one is the best for us. Whichever they are, just
\nmake sure that what we have to say to others comes from the
\nheart, if we're serious about making the world a better place in
\nwhich to live.<\/p>\n
Question: I have hard feelings toward a person, but can't
\navoid talking to him\/her. How am I supposed to deal with it?<\/p>\n
Answer: Be thrifty with your words and let it go naturally.
\nAnd, at these times, try SMS to convey your intentions:-)).<\/p>\n
-- Ivy Susanti<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sms-ing-does-not-tell-everything-thankfully-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }