QWERTY

The bane called texting

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Mobile phones came and brought easy communication. Prices were high and it wasn’t everyday technology. Then came the phenomenon of texting alongside ‘message packs’ and life became much more easier. There was still an end to those 1000 messages in the monthly pack. But with the idea of cellular internet based options, came WhatsApp, WeChat, Nimbuzz, Hangouts, Hike, Facebook Messenger… and a gazillion other services. Result- all hell broke loose.

While one friend used WhatsApp, the other was on BBM, and the third on WeChat and the fourth wanted to Hangout. Well, one device had 5 applications just for texting. Weren’t the days of old fashioned SMS better? Allegedly, each app has something ‘new’ to offer. While one shows whether the person has ‘received’ a message, the other shows whether he has ‘seen’ it. The “last seen” feature on WhatsApp has been the breaking stone of several relationships. On the other hand, the ability to send light compressed photos has been a blessing for shopaholics who spread one object of desire like fire amidst friends.

WeChat, a young ‘solution’ to texting helps you discover WeChat users in your vicinity. I do not want random neighbours sending me fraaandshiping messages. As if the self-promotional WhatsApp broadcasts weren’t enough. Several Blackberry users stayed faithful to the brand simply because of BBM, a texting app elitist in nature because to use it you required a BB pin. But the world of fancy interfaces packed in cheap devices pushed Blackberry to make BBM a cross platform app. And now they say WhatsApp might be threatened because of the community like setting of BBM. Well, it sure is fighting competition with things such as the newly launched voice notes.

But isn’t having 5-6 apps simply for texting stretching it a bit too far? QWERTY often wishes the phone would lay silent for some time. Damn you mobile technology.

Journalism has been called the “first rough draft of history”. D.U.B may be termed as the first rough draft of DU history. Freedom to Express.

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