Tag Archive for 'sms'

Business cards via text message

Published on March 18, 2009 in Useful Stuff. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

I love my MOO mini-cards, but as soon as I order a set, buyer’s remorse kicks in. I wish I had included more or less or different contact info.

A blogging buddy of mine introduced me to Contxts, a free service that ensures you’re never without your business cards again.  After signing up for an account, there are two ways to share your info.

From your phone, you txt “send 3034759204” to 50500

You can tell the service to text your info to a particular phone number (area code + number) OR

Your contact txts “username” to 50500 on their phone

Your new contact can make a text request for your info using your username.

You can test it out be texting the  “DANIEL” to the number 50500.  Within moments, you should receive  creator Daniel’s contact info.

Each contact that requests your info is added to your own “virtual rolodex” as they sign up for their own account at Contxt.

You can update the profile that is texted to interested parties at anytime.  You can include as much or as little information as you want, as long as it stays under 140 characters.

It might even be worth having two accounts, once for personal info and a second for your business info.

What are you waiting for, go sign up!

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The slippery slope of censorship

Published on September 26, 2007 in Business. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The issue of net neutrality is Project Censored’s #1 most ignored news story of 2007.  Proponents of net neutrality want cable lines available free to ISPs, access that cable companies can’t censor based on competition or controversy.  On the other hand, cable companies feel they have the right to provide tiered access, providing faster and more comprehensive offerings to those who pay.  Cable companies want to recoup the costs of laying cable and upgrading hardware via that tiered access.

Proponents of net neutrality can now cite Verizon Wireless as an example of what can happen when carriers control the content available.  Verizon recently denied NARAL’s use of text messaging to share action-oriented messages with their supporters, deeming all talk of abortion unacceptable on its platform.

The new York Times is also quick to point the usefullness of texting in campaigning:

According to a study released this month by researchers at Princeton and the University of Michigan, young people who received text messages reminding them to vote in November 2006 were more likely to go to the polls.

(Mobile Active is a great resource on findings on texting to put activists or voters in motion.)

Imagine if corporate leadership made its business decisions based on ideology rather than good business sense.  Could a strong supporter of the Republican party deny access to Democrats reaching out to their constituents?  What of a company that chooses to deny grassroots organizations the right  to use text messaging to actuate supporters regarding the war in Iraq or addressing poverty in Africa?