Text Talk

[madmax]

That reminds me - is anyone interested in how SMS came to be? I can bore you to tears if you want to know.

Sod it, I will be a sadist anyway. If you are offended by this, turn away now...

When we first started to build the GSM networks us engineers needed a communication system that placed no payload on the 8 traffic channels available on each single transmitter channel. GSM used a lot of signalling to control phone/base station transmission power levels, location updates and site hand overs. There is spare capacity in these signalling channels (SDCCH) and it places no load on the network. So these channels were used for SMS. Very convenient. This was no accident as this capacity was designed into the GSM system. So as integration and commissioning engineers we could text each other site data free of charge, leaving the traffic channels free for customer use.

So for a number of years those of us in the know used these signalling channels for SMS - free communications! But then the secret got out and the operators capitalised on this. Fair play to them I say! As SMS is now the biggest earner for many operators worldwide. The hardware costs about £275K as I recall and the maintenance costs are minimal. Easy munnee!!

However, SMS is the most expensive method of communication when looked at as £/byte used... I think it amounts to about £750/Mb!!! If I am wrong here, please correct me.

[Paul Wagland]

Wow, thanks Max! I've always thought texting was poor value for money. Useful when people don't answer their phones, or if you want to contact lots of mates at once, but that's about it!

[everdream78]

Even worse is when you see spelling errors or use of the wrong word in magazines, books and in newspapers - the best way to learn how to spell and use correct grammar is by reading, if that's wrong then how does anyone learn?!

Me too!! It really winds me up when people don't switch their spellchecker to UK English either - adviser is spelt with an "ER" NOT "or" over here!!!

[bubblewrap]

I'm with you on that one Piglet it took me a long time to learn how to spell & get my grammar more or less correct and be damned to using text talk.
There is no excuse for using it on the vine.

[SMS6]

That reminds me - is anyone interested in how SMS came to be?

Well one night in August of 1951 me Daddy and me Mammy went up the stairs to bed feeling very happy and as Daddy's and Mammy's do they decided to cuddle up close ..... one thing led to another and ...............

[bubblewrap]

Me too!! It really winds me up when people don't switch their spellchecker to UK English either - adviser is spelt with an "ER" NOT "or" over here!!!

There is one problem everdream we have a few American members on the vine(I think we can let them off)

[bubblewrap]

[QUOTE=SMS6;195616]Well one night in August of 1951 me Daddy and me Mammy went up the stairs to bed feeling very happy and as Daddy's and Mammy's do they decided to cuddle up close ..... one thing led to another and ...............[QUOTE]

I thought that was S & M

[madmax]

You are welcome Paul. By the way are you aware that GSM mobile phones are one of the most insecure methods of communications about!?!?

Your handset can be located to within 10 metres anywhere on this planet where there is a mobile network and it is switched on. Even if you do not make a call it is still performing location updates. SMS plays a part in this! Triangulation, timing advance measurements, your SIM card number and radio frequency propagation properties are used to perform these call traces.

And conversations can be plucked out from the network once it has been received by the BTS (Base Transceiver Station). So be careful what you say - We are listening to you!

[Paul Wagland]

Doesn't bother me, but I do have a friend who has to talk in code most of the time! I won't tell you what for....

[SarzWix]

Wow, thanks Max! I've always thought texting was poor value for money. Useful when people don't answer their phones, or if you want to contact lots of mates at once, but that's about it!

I find SMS a total life-line - I'm very phone-phobic and it can take me days/weeks to ring someone. Whereas text & email allow me to keep in touch with people, panic free! Caller display on the land-line helps too - I don't answer numbers I don't know, ever! Before mobile phones were common-place, I was just lonely

[SMS6]

[QUOTE=bubblewrap;195619][QUOTE=SMS6;195616]Well one night in August of 1951 me Daddy and me Mammy went up the stairs to bed feeling very happy and as Daddy's and Mammy's do they decided to cuddle up close ..... one thing led to another and ...............

I thought that was S & M

excuse me!!!!!! not in our house!!! I'll have you know there was none of that perverted nonsense LOL

[SarzWix]

And conversations can be plucked out from the network once it has been received by the BTS (Base Transceiver Station). So be careful what you say - We are listening to you!

Incidentally, do those huge 'Golf-Balls' just outside Harrogate which belong to the Americans have anything to do with that? Or is that just a narsty rumour...?
(Notice I'm not putting the name of the place...?! )

[bubblewrap]

Incidentally, do those huge 'Golf-Balls' just outside Harrogate which belong to the Americans have anything to do with that? Or is that just a narsty rumour...?
(Notice I'm not putting the name of the place...?! )

Gleneagles?

[Hazel at the Hill]

.. So be careful what you say - We are listening to you!

Good god, you must be bored witless if you tune in to my messages - mostly to partner-in-grime Jane - 'hello, are you going to the lottie tomorrow?' and 'I've planted the potatoes if you want to sow the carrots'......

zzzzzzzzzzz............

[bubblewrap]

Good god, you must be bored witless if you tune in to my messages - mostly to partner-in-grime Jane - 'hello, are you going to the lottie tomorrow?' and 'I've planted the potatoes if you want to sow the carrots'......

zzzzzzzzzzz............

YouTube - Digging My Potatoes (Coffeehouse session)