Lol if you

Q: What are text messages and why would I use them?

A: Text messages are really exactly what they sound like. They are short messages sent between two text message-enabled devices. The messages do not contain any graphics which is why they are simply called text messages.

By far the most popular text messaging device is a cell phone. And by far the most popular users of text messages are teenagers.

Text messaging has a slight advantage over email in that you don’t need to be at your computer to send or receive a message. Yes, some people have more sophisticated phones that can check email but almost everyone has a cell phone that is capable of sending or receiving a text message.

The real trick to using text messages is to learn the text messaging lingo. Because text messages are somewhat challenging to compose using the numeric keys on a cell phone, an entire new shorthand has been developed and continues to evolve in the text messaging world.

In other words, if you plan on text messaging with a teenager you better start brushing up on what lol, <3 and ttyl mean. By the way that’s laughing out loud, love (heart) and talk to you later.

If all of this is a little overwhelming for you, don’t fret. There are still plenty of other practical uses for text messaging. For example many online calendar services can send a text message to your cell phone to remind you of an upcoming appointment. And Meijer just recently announced that they will send you a text message before gas prices rise so you can gas up before the prices go up.

This post was originally broadcast Friday, May 25, 2007 on Tech Talk with Noobie, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday between 11:30 a.m. and noon. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to .