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Free SMS Phone

View advertising in exchange for free texting
  (+3, -1)
(+3, -1)
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A thought I've long held is that there should be a text-only phone service. There are many whose texting activities far outweigh their dialing, and it is reasonable that a service be offered to meet their specific needs. Very simple mobile devices could easily handle this demand with simple features such as a qwerty keyboard, contacts list, and font options on a monochrome screen.

Then it occurred to me that it would be even more desirable to some people to enjoy this service for free. One way would be to send text-based advertising to the phones at an interval of, say, 3 per hour during the daytime. A fourth text would be sent that asks for a response to a question that pulls from the ad text.

Example:

"Try new Crest White Strips, available at Walgreens, CVS, and your local grocery store. Just keep your strip on for 20 minutes a day for 30 days. Only $19.95!" [note: Crest info totally guestimated]

then

"How many days does it take to get sparkling white teeth with Crest White Strips? (A) 40 (B) 50 (C) 30"

So, when you send back a correct answer, you get either additional texting time added or a certain number of texts. Personally, I would try out the service. I figure I could get to a phone for a voice call if I really needed to, either at home, at a pay phone, using a Skype phone, or asking a friend.

ShaneSezWhat, Jan 03 2010

Blyk's original announcement http://eu.techcrunc...ted-mobile-network/
[theircompetitor, Jan 03 2010]

Ad-based Phone Calls Ad-based_20Phone_20Calls
[phoenix, Jan 03 2010]

Advertisments on your bills Advertisments_20on_20your_20bills
[phoenix, Jan 03 2010]

Free Phone Calls Free_20Phone_20Calls
[phoenix, Jan 03 2010]

BBC News: Speculation rife on Google phone http://news.bbc.co....hnology/8439067.stm
[Dub, Jan 04 2010]

[link]






       I dunno. I'm not very much in favour of having Earth sponsored by MacWalmartco in exchange for free advertising. I say make advertising illegal.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 03 2010
  

       But in its most basic form, advertising is merely announcement that a concern exists and is available. I would agree that a lot of advertising is offensive and intrusive, and often misconceived. How would you feel if the advertising was restricted to voluntary organisations?
nineteenthly, Jan 03 2010
  

       It's baked, offered by AT&T for hearing disabled. Couple other companies offer this for kids too, I think.
leinypoo13, Jan 03 2010
  

       Various flabvors of this have been baked, including ad supported texting and calling. See link.
theircompetitor, Jan 03 2010
  

       //in its most basic form, advertising is merely announcement that a concern exists and is available// In its most basic form, advertising is the name over the shop, which is about as far as it should go. I am so sick of every available surface being considered as a medium for selling. Rant over.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 03 2010
  

       hmm, then you're not likely to vote for my Tatoo PopUp Ads, are you
theircompetitor, Jan 03 2010
  

       Surely you had more, [MB]?   

       I would make a distinction between commercial and non-commercial advertising. If someone loses a dog, they may post bits of paper around the neighbourhood to advertise the fact and in hope of getting the dog back. In terms of shop fascia, there can be a problem because of planning permission and zoning. There are things which people want and can't find, and people who are trying to offer those things. Why not put them in touch with each other?   

       Having said that, i wonder if advertising is a bubble, because if i see something commercially advertised, i immediately think there must be something wrong with it or it would sell itself. I often find this is borne out by experience. Given that, advertising might make products less rather than more popular. That's been covered here somewhere, as i recall.   

       The other way in which advertising may be a bubble is that i'm certainly not aware of responding positively to it, and i wonder how far that extends to other people. Maybe most of it exists in the first place only because people think it works.
nineteenthly, Jan 03 2010
  

       Just the sort of thing Google's rumoured new phone (Nexus) might provide...
Dub, Jan 04 2010
  

       [Bigsleep], one process i'm pretty sure does happen is that advertisers talk competitors into spending more on their publicity, and if that's true, there's a way round this. If competitors got together and committed legally to a maximum advertising budget, they would all save money. That could be done without any legal change or state intervention. It's probably also an example of Prisoner's Dilemma.   

       Then again, if you're really not influenced by advertising, you've got yourself a free tariff.
nineteenthly, Jan 04 2010
  

       [-]I am already annoyed by people who are semi-distracted by text messaging while I am talking to them. Running these ads will only make them more distracted and make me more annoyed.
Jscotty, Jan 04 2010
  

       The culture of texting isn't the same as the actual facility. On the rare occasions when i've sent texts, it's been stuff like shopping lists, and it could be little factoid snippets or proverbs.
nineteenthly, Jan 04 2010
  

       Glad you agree. It's quite a flexible feature. It may be used for a particular purpose which people tend to find annoying but it has other uses.   

       Wasn't it introduced to mobiles as an afterthought or something?
nineteenthly, Jan 04 2010
  

       //Wasn't it introduced to mobiles as an afterthought or something?// No, it actually existed back when pagers were the in thing and cellular phones were 2 piece instruments that had a full sized handset and shoulder strap. At the time it was more efficient and cost effective to do one-way text paging.
Jscotty, Jan 04 2010
  

       Is it not the same protocol as SMTP? (Actually that only goes one way, doesn't it?)
nineteenthly, Jan 04 2010
  

       I agree with those who have taken the attitude of "let's not condemn markers just because they are sometimes used to make graffiti." Also, the negative sentiments expressed about advertising resonate with me to a large degree. Ultimately, though, my opinion about advertising is congruent to my feelings about graffiti: if the presentation is appealing, then I can ignore the more crass aspects of the medium.
ShaneSezWhat, Jan 05 2010
  

       This would work a lot better if the phone had voice capability that you could upgrade to for an additional fee, or let you purchase voice time a la carte.
cowtamer, Dec 28 2010
  
      
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