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Happy (Early) Bday! :) SMS Txt Msgs Turn 20

Posted by timothy on from the compression-of-need dept.

CWmike writes "In the fast moving world of technology, there are perhaps few things that have proved as resistant to change as the simple SMS text message. While a dizzying number of options exist today to interconnect people, the text message remains a 160 character deliverer of news, gossip, laughs, alerts, and all manner of other information. It connects more people than Facebook and Twitter, has brought down governments, and in so much of the world still holds the ability to change lives. Dec. 3 is the 20th anniversary of the sending of the first SMS text message. Its origins can be traced back to a Danish pizzeria in 1984. Matti Makkonen, a Finnish engineer, was in Copenhagen for a mobile telecom conference and began discussing with two colleagues the idea of a messaging system on the GSM digital cellular system."

5 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. When you absolutely, positively by Provocateur · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When you absolutely, positively must get that message across, SMS is your friend. Thank you Matti, Cope and Hagen!

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  2. I don't know which is weirder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That SMS was invented all the way back in 1984, or that Danes eat pizza.

    1. Re:I don't know which is weirder... by Hsien-Ko · · Score: 4, Insightful

      or that 1984 is 20 years ago, given the poor article summary.

  3. overflated cost = money maker by Nyder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who knew that 160 chars of text could cost so much? Almost pure profit for any cellular company.

    --
    Be seeing you...
  4. Re:SMS - yuk! by loufoque · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Looks like you're confusing pricing and cost.
    SMS does not cost anything, but is priced relatively high (compared to its cost at least).