Mass Textodus

Irish questioned my level of social etiquette yesterday.  And coming from him, I didn't feel great about myself.  He's one of my closest friends and I value his opinion.. However, he is also someone who accepts every single event invitation received through Facebook with basically no intention of attending or participating   Sometimes unsuspecting victims even thank him for his support.   I should have just ignored him completely.

My argument?   It is not necessary to respond to "mass texts".  Especially when they are clearly identified as such. He disagreed and thought I was being a jerk.  Come on....they are often as sincere as sending obligatory holiday cards to people who send them to you.  And if you read this blog regularly, you know my stance on those.

I know, right?? 

The topic came up when I asked if the iCompass (my affectionate name for the iPhone, based on its excellent apps but inability to actually function as a phone) offered the "mass text" functionality and how it worked.  I wondered if it allows you to text the entire phonebook at once or if you can only self select.

Turns out the iCompass, like basically all others, requires you to select recipients.  This is surprising based on the "mass text" distribution lists I have been included on over the years.  I always assumed every single contact in the phone had to be getting them. 

Good example - one former colleague used to send something for basically every holiday.  And it was DEFINITELY not personalized.  This Christmas I got nothing.  Was it because I didn't respond to her last note about looking for her new employer's float at the Thanksgiving Day Parade?  Maybe if she was riding it, waving at me and calling my name on TV...or if it was shaped like her face.  OR MY FACE!!!.  Other than, how was I supposed to respond?   "Awesome!  Great use of paper mache and carnations!"  That's just silly.

I found out yesterday from my Middle School Friend that the Blackberry uses purple font to help identify such texts.  (Quick apology to anybody whose night I just ruined but if you get a romantic text and it's in purple, he/she was also trying to meet up with at least one other person later that evening.)   Without that hint, what's a girl to do?  My Droid doesn't color code so I'm forced to guess.

Maybe I'm lazy, or insensitive but I'd prefer to say my lack of responses is based on an uncomfortable situation that occurred several years back-

I received a text (at about 2am, by the way) announcing the birth of a child  I didn't have the number stored, nor did I recognize the baby's name as something I should have been expecting to hear about.  I politely responded, congratulating the parents, complimenting the name (which I wasn't even crazy about) and informing them I "must have received this in error", feeling bad that the intended recipient was accidentally excluded.  I really outdid myself.  Manners galore :)  I remember the response like it was yesterday - 

"Hey, it's (my old boss) and you were meant to receive it." 

Yay, me!   I ruined the ten minutes immediately following the birth of his first child.  I tried to diffuse the situation with a joke but he never responded.  How is it my fault that I hated the job enough to delete any evidence of the person who hired me? It's not like I planned to call him regularly to talk about all the fun times I had in his office listening to negative feedback regarding my partnering skills.

The road to hell is often paved with good intentions. So I stick to this rule now...if it can't be addressed with a "you, too", it's best to ignore.  Or just use the "you, too" in all situations.  It's equally as impersonal and you'll be quickly be left out of future correspondence.

Everybody wins.