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Martian · 06-19-2009, 06:00 PM

I actually mis-spoke, as the markup is closer to 5000% according to the article. That's based on the $0.15 pay per use rate -- bulk plans are more difficult, because the per-message cost varies depending on how much you actually use. If you actually send a thousand or more text messages per month, a $15 flat rate is cost effective for you. I don't doubt that there are people who send that many, but it breaks my mind a bit -- if I'm doing the math right, that's more than 30 text messages per day, or if we take out time for sleep an average of a text message every half hour. I can't even imagine what I'd write that frequently. Perhaps I'm just not sufficiently attuned to the Twitter/Facebook culture; I don't think my life is that interesting.

I take issue with price gouging. I especially take issue when a provider attempts to force an artificially inflated price on me. There's no reason for text messaging to cost so much aside from flat out greed, and charging me for incoming messages is a transparent attempt to try to get me onto a block plan (where incoming messages are still free), thus getting my money whether I use the feature or not. Nobody from Rogers ever mentioned to me that text messaging is an optional feature despite my explaining what I wanted (a basic phone with call display, voicemail and nothing else) every single time I've dealt with them; further, there's absolutely no mention of the option on their website that I've ever seen. Even when I made the specific request I had to jump through hoops. An option that nobody knows about isn't an option at all.

06-19-2009, 06:00 PM	#23 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	I actually mis-spoke, as the markup is closer to 5000% according to the article. That's based on the $0.15 pay per use rate -- bulk plans are more difficult, because the per-message cost varies depending on how much you actually use. If you actually send a thousand or more text messages per month, a $15 flat rate is cost effective for you. I don't doubt that there are people who send that many, but it breaks my mind a bit -- if I'm doing the math right, that's more than 30 text messages per day, or if we take out time for sleep an average of a text message every half hour. I can't even imagine what I'd write that frequently. Perhaps I'm just not sufficiently attuned to the Twitter/Facebook culture; I don't think my life is that interesting. I take issue with price gouging. I especially take issue when a provider attempts to force an artificially inflated price on me. There's no reason for text messaging to cost so much aside from flat out greed, and charging me for incoming messages is a transparent attempt to try to get me onto a block plan (where incoming messages are still free), thus getting my money whether I use the feature or not. Nobody from Rogers ever mentioned to me that text messaging is an optional feature despite my explaining what I wanted (a basic phone with call display, voicemail and nothing else) every single time I've dealt with them; further, there's absolutely no mention of the option on their website that I've ever seen. Even when I made the specific request I had to jump through hoops. An option that nobody knows about isn't an option at all. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame