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Morse Code Faster Than SMS
mentalflossboy writes "Engadget is reporting that Morse Code is actually faster than text messaging. According to the article, 93 year old Gordon Hill transmitted a message faster than 13 year old Brittany Devlin, despite Devlin's 'liberal use of texting slang.' And the fabulous quote they were they sending: 'Hey, girlfriend, you can text all your best pals to tell them where you are going and what you are wearing.'"
But is Morse proficiency still required for amatuer radio licensing?
"Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"
I'm a touch typist and what I think just goes to my hands. It's actually harder (and takes longer) for me to type "u" to mean "you" than it does to type "you" because I have to throw my brain into idiot mode and override my normal typing skills to get idiot-speak onto the screen.
I feel jipped. I can't find what the 93-yr old was wearing ANYWHERE in tfarticle.
Aside from that, this doesnt suprise me, as the bottleneck was not the tech itself, but the input methods. And having 3 or 4 letters per key is NOT efficient.
** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
No, it just makes you sound like one. :P
Seriously, I'd rather be on a bus full of txters than people phoning.
- Texting is better when I'm in a situation where I don't want others to know what I'm talking about.
- Texting is better when I need to tell someone something but I don't want to have to have a full conversation with them.
- Since I travel a lot, I love using Google text (46645) when I'm looking for something like a restaraunt in the area
- Texting saves minutes.
Has anyone else ever tried to tell someone that the beeping that their Nokia phone makes when they receive a text message is Morse code for SMS? I have yet to meet a single person who's known that. I swear, Morse code is a dying language that will soon go the way of languages such as Latin and Aramaic - famous, scholarly, the old guys like it, but no one else gives a crap.
You could use morse only for input, the phone can easily convert it to text and display it as a normal text message.
It might even be a good idea.
On some Nokia phones a ring signal for messages is the morse code for SMS, that is:
... -- ...
The radio operator I knew said that one killer feature for him would be if the phone instead of that could play the whole message in morse code when it came - no need to pick up the phone to see it, you could just hear the message (and obviously annoy everybody else).
So true. I'm in a band, which means lots of concerts. At 100 dB+, I don't want to call anyone, or even take my protective earplugs out for that matter (call me a sissy, but I will be insulting you in ten years, but you won't hear it, or much of anything). Text messaging is a great way to contact people to tell them when our set it, tell people that to bring a forgotten cable or instrument, or even in some cases find out WHERE THE #$%#$ our base player is. Other than that, I usually use the phone for what it is meant for, talking into and absorbing radiation from.
Absolutley, I know a Ham that is "down" to 60 wpm with morse code after peaking 100+ while serving with the Navy. I've seen this guy decode and he's faster and more accurate then the computers we had doing the same thing.
Now I just need to go get a slow 5 wpm to upgrade my license.
Also, there are no roaming charges on texting. And you don't have to wake up other people if they're asleep or you can be sly about it if you're in class. And you can connect to AIM. And sometimes some things just aren't worth calling about.
sigfault. core dumped.
I think so. C'mon, think about it. This guy has ben doing Morse code since before you were born. What gives you the slightest hint that you could punch out a message faster with your thumbs? Have you ever seen these guys work? Suffice it to say... Yes, I am telling you he could code faster than you with your thumb keyboard. [Be Free.]
[Trojan.]
What plan do you have? Text Messaging always costs a lot more than talking. Not to mention many plans have free weekend talking where as the text message will still cost way too much for using the exact same technology that simply has a branded name to trick consumers into paying more.
It does however provide a nice service if in a bar and want to let someone know where you are. Then again, you could always call them first but that's not always possible for various reasons.
"If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer
http://www.freshports.org/converters/p5-Convert-Mo rse/
Perl module to convert to and from morse. Now for that 'open' phone that could run perl...
Don't pick up the pho*(@)$*@&@!@ NO CARRIER
It might also be a good idea to use voice for the morse code entry. 'wee' could be short, and 'ooo' could be long. My 3 year old son would love it.
...
http://scphillips.com/cgi-bin/morse.cgi
-Palal
But I'd bet you a beer that 95% of Text Messages are sent simply because it's trendy.
nah, text messaging was so popular back in High School (2 years ago) just due to the fact you could send a message nice and stealthy and not make it obvious what you where doing the recipient(s) of the message could also very easily check it when they could (i.e. when the teacher's back was turned or when they where not paying attention)
When I got out of the bar tonight (where there is no reception), my phone picked up a text message from a friend who's place was on the way home from me, so I was able to pop in and say hi, then watch a movie with her. I was also able to quickly read the message and drop the phone back into my pocket in the street. Had I got an answer phone message, I would had to hold the phone up to my ear, making me a prime target for thiefs, especially as I was wandering alone late on a Friday night in this city that my nick aludes to. Otherwise, I would have just gone straight home and watched a little tv on my own. I'd say that was a result.
The night out was arranged by email, and I got notified of a slight last minute change of plans via a group text. For someone who actually has a social life, text and other gadgets are really useful. I'm a bloke, I don't chat on the phone, nor do I chat on text. Like almost every other man in the western world I use these things to arrange real-life meetings!
Yes, there are stupid people out there spending money on type-0 midi files, backgrounds and other such crap. But these same folk also spend money on silly things like MSN backgrounds, stupid rubber wrist bands and lots of other bullshit. Why blame the technology?
As for speed, well with the qwerty keyboard and predictive text, my speed would definitely be on a par with the morse guy. As someone who doesn't touchtype on a computer, I can rattle messages off just fast as I could on a regular keyboard. Granted, using a numeric keypad is lame for text entry, shit you could get crappy "organizers" (name & number) in the late eighties that used the same mechanism. But for the geek, there are some really useful and productive phones out there. I've got VNC and SSH on this, do the math.
That makes me wonder...how to international SMS rates stack up against voice rates?
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
The trick is that it's easier to transmit the code with a modern keyer - easier than typing, probably. Your hand is completely relaxed, and you only use the thumb and the index finger. The keyer does most of the work - but you must hear what it does, and change the position of the paddle as needed. You do it, in fact, predictively - and it is extremely easy after some practice (a few contests will do it for life :-)
Compared to that, cell phone keyboards are awful. I completely and totally refuse to participate in texting, unless it's unavoidable.
I assume from your post that you are the kind of person who sits at home all day and never goes out into the world to have fun for fear of getting injured.
Me, I wear earplugs. I still can't hear people on my cell phone when I'm wearing them.
founder of No Code International
The requirement to show Morse code proficiency to get an Amateur Radio Operators license is a hot topic right now for hams and hams-to-be. One of the reasons commonly given for the elimination of testing is that it has superceded by other, more efficient, modes of communicating.
I'm in New Zealand and I don't use my phone much, so it suits me to be on a prepay plan. From what I understand, NZ has one of the most expensive mobile phone industries in the world. (Perhaps it's lack of competition, since there's only Vodafone and Telecom competing.)
Text is nearly always cheaper here than voice, especially on prepay plans. At least on my plan, though, there's something similar to a prisoner's dilemma going on with it.
On off-peak rates, for instance, I have an option of calling someone for a minute (49 cents minimum), or sending a text message (20 cents). In the latter case, it's more likely that I'll send a couple, but it's still only 40 cents so I save money. Meanwhile, the person with whom I'm corresponding will reply with at least one, possibly two.
Therefore in nearly any thumb-killing text conversation that's worth perhaps a 30 second phone call at best, Vodafone is likely to make between 60 and 80 cents, yet neither person pays for the cost of an entire 1 minute call.
Maybe one day I'll have more money to squander and get a better plan, but I'd just as soon throw away my phone. It's helpful to have around sometimes so that people can get hold of me however.
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=148647&cid=124 60714
/. URLs. How exactly is someone supposed to make sense of "ech tee tee pee colon slash slash slash dot dot org slash" ?
That's the URL to your post. Sometimes, sending text is considerably faster than voice, and tone doesn't matter. Particularly when it comes to
You are telling it exactly:
20 WPM isnt exactly fast (absolutely), and it requires months of training to get there...
Morse can be fucking fast, but only of you have a) the talent (some people like me never get it) and b) spend a good part of your life into perfecting it.
I had morse (as a basic) when i was in the army, and i just didnt get it right. But some of the older guys there (who started in the 50s or 60s) were faster than i could type at that point.
HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?