Forward...and backward...

Before BPOs even became the number one industry in the Philippines, we were tagged as the TEXTING capital of the world.

Note that this phenomenon was BEFORE the Americans and Europeans even learned how to send SMS!

We are so text crazy (I don't know if this is correct grammar) that the average Filipino most likely owns a minimum of TWO mobile phones.

Which goes to the meat of this blog.

Have you ever received a text message that goes something like this:

TODAY IS THE GOD'S GIFT TO YOU. HE IS GOOD AND HE PROVIDES US EVERYTHING.
TODAY I SHARE WITH YOU THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP AND I THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND.
PRAISE HIM WHO HAS GIVEN US HEALTH AND WEALTH.

Forward this to 10 other people - including me if you consider me a friend - and a miracle will happen in 3 days.
If you don't do this now, something bad will happen to you. A friend of mine did not believe and is now sick and lost his job.
Pass this on if you love God.

Watdf**k is the matter with this message? It's nothing but a chain text (remember those chain letters when we were kids?)! And if there is something really awful in these chain text messages - it's the fact that it's not FREE!!!!!! Darn!

I am sure that even God rolls over on His belly and scorns upon the Pinoys who seem to be wanton and dazed at the stupidity and mediocrity of believing in chain texts. I recall sometime ago, the Church took a stand on chain letters and told the faith not to believe in them. So why isn't anyone from the cloak saying something about this? In cahoots? Geez!!!!

First of all, yes you are my friend. But I don't need to keep sending you this message back and forth so that we can ink our friendship! Second, God surely loves us - after all, He sent His only son to be born and then die for us! He did not text us nor did any message miraculously appear on your celfone from GOD. Thirdly, 70% of the Pinoys live below the poverty line. They can't even make heads or tails with the food that they will serve on the table - and they turn to texting each other back some thwarted message like this! OMG!!! Finally, if you know how to count, and your phone is able to do that - remember that the mobile phone companies charge anywhere from P0.50-P1.00 for every 160 characters (inclusive of spaces) you type!!!!! [Of course I guess that's why there are so many Sun Cellular subscribers - therefore accounting for the TWO PHONES per Filipino, because of the text and call all you can as long as you're within their network.]

And here's the rub - there's a difference in believing and fanaticism. Whoever invented this chain text is pulling in the big bucks (and I have a strange feeling that one of the idiots from the celphone company started this darn trend). And the average Pinoy is in starvation mode. [Tapos mag rereklamo na wala na silang load o ang mahal ng kanilang bill na babayaran - sanamagan talaga!]

We keep forwarding these text messages, which are already mindless and robotic! [And when it pops up, I simply press - DELETE message.]

Like the stand of the Church regarding chain letters decades ago, where they called it a SIN, it is SINFUL as well to deprive ordinary people of honestly earned meager livelihood only for the benefit of the mobile phone companies.

Responsible texting is something that we need to educate the Pinoys on. It should help temper the indescribably silly use of SMS as an appropriate means of communication.

When will we ever learn? We keep forwarding mediocrity by moving backwards in our ways...geez...how more pathetic can we get?







NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION FOR EVERYONE - Join the campaign and say NO TO TEXTING OR USING THE PHONE WHILE DRIVING! It kills!!!!

Cellphone etiquette!

DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza wants texting to be free in the Philippines. Now that, is the most IDIOTIC idea that has come from anyone. It shows that the anointed head of the Department of Transportation & Communication of this country is as lame-brained as the appointer. I will not engage in an argumentative thesis here. He is not worth the debate.

If you allow texting to be free in this country, it's tantamount to anarchy!

On the lighter side, there must be some etiquette to using a mobile phone. So now you have a phone.

A few reminders before you dial those digits

1. If you're calling someone important or your boss, unless his or her house or the office is burning or the world is coming to an end, make sure you text first to see if you can call. After all, this guy is probably busier than you.

2. Always try calling the land line first! Most of the people you're calling have a contact number in their offices or homes. It not only saves you money but you save the other person money too, especially when he or she is out of the country. For everyone's information, when you dial a mobile number and the recipient is out of the country, it's the recipient that pays for the call when he or she is roaming! Your participation fee is either a miniscule or just part of your plan (which means it's probably free). For a P3.00/min call you make from your phone to mine when I am roaming, I pay around P40-70/min depending on the country I am roaming at. The Philippines has the most expensive roaming charges for your information. This is what the DOTC should be running after!

3. When you hear a busy tone or the phone rings for 4-5 times and no one is picking up, don't redial. Send a text message. The person you're calling may not be within reach of the phone, or may be busy or is in a meeting. If it's not an emergency, for goodness sake, back-off!

4. If a sales agent asks you to recommend "friends" of yours whom you can recommend for a sales deal, please DO NOT give them the phone numbers of your "friend". Unless you consider him your worst nightmare, then by all means, do so. You don't want every Tom, Dick and Harry harassing you with phone calls from conspicuous people. It's the best way a crime is perpetuated. Thank the Filipinos for ingenuity in a criminal act when it comes to using a mobile phone.

Then there's the texting or SMS sending part

1. Avoid using short-cuts unless it's universally understandable. You don't want people to be guessing what you're trying to say. And because other people have better things to do with their time and their lives and you don't, doesn't mean you have to waste theirs by texting "pcm (please call me)" when what you meant was "please come here".

2. Check your messages before sending it. You may have been texting without looking at your mobile phone in order to show the world that you're ambidextrous and that you have a knack at both talking and texting at the same time, only to find out - you texted "gjtyhsl dkjt kkk" - guess what stupid, wrong text, wrong send!

3. Keep messages short and INFREQUENT. Bombarding someone with texts makes you look obsessive or psychotic or neurotic or mentally ill or bored with life. Get a hobby. Download a game. Better yet, make a blogsite.

4. Don't text in the middle of the night. My patients love to do this. I always put my phone in mute when I go to bed. My partner taught me this. It gives me better sleep. When there's an emergency, rush the patient to the hospital! People who text you are looking for a freebie! For the record, it is always best to end all texting by 10pm. Text message sent after 10pm should be slapped a full call charge!

5. Never text want you don't want remembered forever.

6. Don't argue via text message. You won't win. If you disagree, end the text message with "we'll talk about it later". Let the issue simmer down and get both your acts together. And never, never, press the call button when you're mad. You'll regret it. Composure is dignity in action.

7. Don't send spam texts. I thought the era of chain letters ended eons ago on to resurrect with the advent of mobile phones. Like saying prayers to 15 saints or sending that particular text message of 15 friends and wishing on a star or praying to the moon and all that crap. That, is sacrilege! Though some say there is nothing to lose but a few pesos for God, you've just propagated the mundane thought of desperation. Think about it. If you needed to send the text message to 20 people at 50cents per message that's P10 a day. If you did that 5x a week that's P50 in a week or P200 in a month. Donate that to Unicef and you could send a poor kid to school and keep his hopes in building a better country. Instead, you just made Smart or Globe a little richer. I have a feeling that the phone companies started these religious spams, counting on the religious fanaticism of the Pinoy. People who do this should and ought to get a life!

Finally,

Don't text and drive! You may think you're the best driver and that your dexterity in multitasking is a feat to contend with. Well, if you do, then you're a self-centered bastard. Think of the other people on the road. Remember, it takes two to tango. It's good if only you get into a mishap and die because of your irresponsibility. You don't need to bring the other party to hell with you. Hands on the wheels, not on the phone.

And if you can't resist nor avoid having to text back immediately, take a public transportation or better yet, get a driver.