Thursday, January 15, 2009

TFT: Phone, Email or Text

This popped in my head the other day on the way to work. I see sooo many people texting lately, and quite a few of my friends text me instead of calling. I have some friends I hear from via email or facebook instead of phone or text. I have some friends I talk to the phone only.

Not being specific to keeping in touch with friends... I'm referring to everyone: Which mode of communication do you prefer: Phone, Text or E-Mail?

Me, I mostly prefer phone or email. Texting takes me way too long as I don't have a fancy keyboard phone. And I think... gosh, by the time I type out all that and wait to get a response and then type back, I could have called and gotten a whole conversation over with in the time it took to answer two questions. And then typically I end up pressing a wrong button and deleting my entire one sentence message that took me 5 minutes to type. But, that's just me.

For business I often prefer email as I work from home and usually don't have peace and quiet until later in the evening. I always cringe when a client calls and I stupidly answer when I know I won't have 5 minutes to quietly talk with them.

Some friends (and most of my family members) I use the phone... I have a few friends I talk to daily, or weekly, and my mom, grandma and sister I chat with on the phone.

I guess if I had to choose, I'd probably say phone.... I love my cell phone and I feel so lost if I don't have it. Second would be email, third texting.

So...what is your preference?

20 comments:

  1. it depends. texting is usually just for BS. mostly i use phone or email.

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  2. email... it seems that my friend that i email with, i talk to much more regularly than the ones that i talk on the phone with. fitting in phone time just seems tough.

    texting is just for short and quick stuff, i don't do it much.

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  3. haha, i mean 'friends' that i email with... yeah i do have more than one. LOL! :)

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  4. Texting is the easiest for me! Second would be email...and phone is only if it's absolutely necessary! With 5 kids, it's pretty much never quiet enough to talk on the phone:)

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  5. I'd much rather text a quick convo than have to make a phone call for something, but I have a fancy keyboard, so it's real easy. I think there are certain things to use the phone for (like catching up or something long-winded), but I'd much rather text to make quick plans or to send a quick comment.

    Email is great for work and planning things with a large group (I do not do forwards).

    I'd say text or email first, depending on the topic.. and phone last.

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  6. I always feel like it has to be a "good time to talk" and that is rare around here. Especially being in different time zones from a lot of our friends and family. I'm also just not a phone person, never really have been, and it's just gotten worse since having kids. I get too distracted on the phone. I'm not a car talker either, unless I'm driving a long distance by myself. Which never happens either, so there you go.

    Yeah, I guess I only consider the phone when it's absolutely necessary. Email is my communication of choice. Or IM. Even some texting now since I got a new phone with a qwerty keyboard. I like that it's something I can pick up and put down, something I can come back to if I'm interrupted, something that can work around the chaos of my life! haha! It doesn't matter if the kids are screaming and yelling or if it's 6 in the morning or midnite... email is always there and it's not interrupting the person on the other end if they're busy or in chaos too... it's more convenient to me.

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  7. I don't text, and none of my friends do. I prefer email, just because I don't have a lot of time to chat on the phone these days.

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  8. That is funny about you and texting. I am the same way. It takes me forever to even get one sentence typed. I prefer email for most everything.

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  9. It usually depends on who it is.... My sisters, mom and dad ~ ALWAYS the phone. Business ~ I prefer email for various reasons and then most others I contact by email or facebook.

    I talk on the phone all day while working so by the time I get home I want nothing to do with it.

    As for texting. I used to be a texter but CAN'T STAND IT NOW! I will answer the question if someone text's me but other than that no conversations by text.

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  10. I prefer email to talking on the phone in most cases. Like others have mentioned, with email you never have to worry about interrupting the other person or taking up their time with a lengthy conversation. You can send an email when it's convenient for you, and read the response when it's convenient for you. My kid starts screaming and whining the minute I pick up the phone, so phone calls for me are really annoying right now. And usually when I have time to myself the last thing I want to do is talk on the phone (I'd much prefer to email!)

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  11. I'm definitely a texter. But I have a Blackberry aka Crackberry so I can whip out a text faster than you could say what I'm texting. LOL It is usually an emergency or I have something really exciting to talk about if I call anyone. It just seems like people always call me when I'm a. getting out of the car, pregnant, with a two year old or b. trying to get ready to go somewhere.

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  12. Usually e-mail or Facebook. I hate talking on the phone, but used to love it..maybe has somethign to do with my junkie phone that hurts my ear. LOL. I use text for 4 words or less because my junkie phone takes me forever too! Oh, I do have about 4 girlfriends I talk to on phone regularly too, but thats it. I even e-mail my parents instead of phone, I think they prefer it also.

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  13. I use a lot of texting. It easy to put something quick out there, like a question or a comment to someone. And then they can reply back when they can. Usually quicker than email does, because people can hear their phone chime when there is a new text. Whereas u have to be at the computer for you to know there is a new email. And I used to like talking on the phone, but its so much harder now to know if the other person is busy and you feel bad for calling in the inopportune time. SO texting is like email to me, but usually get a quicker response, because I can text them anytime and then can usually text back anytime.

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  14. I prefer email. No need to worry whether I am calling at a bad time and I can think about what I want to say before sending. I'm not even sure if my cellphone can send/get text messages!

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  15. I am definately not a text-er at all. I use the phone for family and email for friends (with the ocassional catch up phone call). However, if I had to chose just one, I would go with the phone, much more personal and nice to hear their voice.

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  16. I hate texting. My 13yr old niece can't put her phone down, she texts all the time and it's so annoying. I prefer email or phone.

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  17. This thought didn't happen to pop in your head when you were trying to text me by chance? - lol! I love to text when I just have something quick to say or I don't want to bother someone with a phone call. If I want to talk or catch up then it is the phone or email. I am always super busy at night and available during the day so email and text work for me when communicating with others on opposite schedules during the week. I also have a Blackberry though so it is easy for me to fire off an email or text.

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  18. Good topic! I prefer email to texting or phone. Texting is good for quick questions but that's about it.

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  19. I rarely text. I usually IM or email and then some people I just call because they aren't always online or we have a lot to discuss and it's easier than to write it out. ;)

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