Text messaging is not new

[richg]

It has been around for over one hundred years. It is called morse code.

Rich

[Dr Small]

Yeah, and was free to begin with. Now we charge people to send text messages. Of course, with the invention of the telegraph, telegraph companies charged to send your message to the next town.

Morse code is still around too. Only, it's above the frequency that you can hear, but it is there ;)

[Simian Man]

I would totally buy a phone that supported morse code.

[Icehuck]

.. -.. --- -. --- - -.- -. --- .-- .-- .... .- - - . -..- - -- . ... ... .- --. .. -. --. .. ... -... ..- - -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. . .. ... -.- .. -. -.. .- .-.. .- -- . .-.-.- .-- .... . -. .. .-- .- ... .- -.- .. -.. .-- . .-- .- .-.. -.- . -.. .- - .... --- ..- ... .- -. -.. -- .. .-.. . ... -... .- .-. . ..-. --- --- - .. -. ... -. --- .-- - --- -.. . .-.. .. ...- . .-. .- .-.. . - - . .-. - --- .- .--. . .-. ... --- -. .-.-.- .-- . .- .-.. ... --- .... .- -.. -. --- - . . - .... .- -. -.. ... -- . .-.. .-.. . -.. ..-. ..- -. -. -.-- -... ..- - .-- . .-.. .. -.- . -.. .. - - .... .- - .-- .- -.-- .-.-.- -.-- --- ..- -. --. ... - . .-. ... - --- -.. .- -.-- -.. --- -. --- - ... . . -- - --- ..- -. -.. . .-. ... - .- -. -.. .-.-.-

[Paqman]

I used to work with a bloke who'd learnt morse code as a signaller in the army. Apparently he was on the last course that got taught it. I would imagine most other forces are doing likewise, so morse is probably well on the way to oblivion.

[.arean]

Text messaging is also completely retarded. It takes four presses to get a S, wtf? Auto-complete, fold out keyboards, touch screen keyboards I don't care. It's a ******* phone. Use your voice and stop making me read!

[Peronix]

Text messaging is also completely retarded. It takes four presses to get a S, wtf? Auto-complete, fold out keyboards, touch screen keyboards I don't care. It's a ******* phone. Use your voice and stop making me read!

I think we have an new definition of laziness. :lolflag:

[Dr Small]

I used to work with a bloke who'd learnt morse code as a signaller in the army. Apparently he was on the last course that got taught it. I would imagine most other forces are doing likewise, so morse is probably well on the way to oblivion.
I doubt it.
Hams across the world still use morse code to communicate on a daily basis. That's one reason I want to learn it, at a fast speed.

[MikeTheC]

Ironically, one of the cell phone makers (I *think* Nokia, but I could be wrong) uses a special set of beeps to confirm the receipt of a new text message.

They're Morris Code beeps for, literally, "SMS".

Or, specifically: dot-dot-dot, dash-dash, dot-dot-dot

Clever.

[~LoKe]

I used to work with a bloke who'd learnt morse code as a signaller in the army. Apparently he was on the last course that got taught it. I would imagine most other forces are doing likewise, so morse is probably well on the way to oblivion.
The Canadian Forces Signal branch dropped it for a few courses, but it's coming back as a specialty. I don't think it will ever disappear, as its uses are many and reliable.

[Paqman]

The Canadian Forces Signal branch dropped it for a few courses, but it's coming back as a specialty. I don't think it will ever disappear, as its uses are many and reliable.

Would there really be a lot of situations morse would be useful on digital equipment though? I guess you could probably build or modify the equipment yourself, but i'm guessing it's not the kind of kit they'd normally pack.

I guess it'll probably go the way of steam trains. Enthusiasts will keep it alive out of nostalgia, regardless of what the state of the art is.