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If you want a Joke, Text 44344!

PfhorRunner
polycounter lvl 18
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PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
Does anyone else notice these commercials? I was just watching Adult Swim (gotta get my weekly dose of Futurama), and noticed that I've never really met someone who's actually done this. I started questioning how they get paid also. Is it a scam? I mean, don't they have to pay to send a text back? How much do they charge? and how do they do it?

I mean sure, they get your phone number when you text them, but unless they have certain connections within your specific phone company, I didn't think that they could syphon money from you.

Plus, its just a weird concept in general. Why would anyone want to get a joke like that? I just think things like this go way overboard. I've seen people willing to throw down a twenty to get a certain screenshot as their cell phone "wallpaper". Holy crap, just make it yourself, or if you're that lazy, just google image search and take a picture off your computer.

I admit, I do think cell phones are a spiffy idea, I just think they're over-glamorized. Some technology is needed, and I agree, that it should be there. But, they're also marketing it to a younger and younger crowd. When the Motorola Razor phone just came out, I was like "Hrm, its got some pretty cool technology, not to mention its small size, that's fairly neat", and not two days later, I see this 10 year old kid walking down the street with one. What does this kid need bluetooth(and any other feature) for? I mean, when I got my phone I just walked in and said "gimme the cheapest, yet most reliable phone you've got." they tried to give me this POS gimmicky LG phone, and I told them to shove it, and ordered mine off the motorola site, because they didn't have any that were just PHONES. [/rant]

Alright, opinions? Answers? Kittens?

Replies

  • Robert Headley
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    Robert Headley polycounter lvl 18
    I don't know about the various text things. I don't text, half because I have a sprint phone and texting is a pain in the ass, and half because I just don't see the point, Vocal communication is a much more potent form of.. communication.

    As far as Gimmicky phones, since I got a camera phone, ive probably taken a thousand photographs. My digital camera I bought years ago, takes 4 pictures and the battery dies.

    I will be switching to Verizon soon, so I can get a motorola Q. A windows mobile PDA phone and because sprint doesn't have coverage everywhere just yet.

    It makes sense to condense as money doo-dads into a single device as you can, so I say bring it on, tho I agree with you with the ten year old with the razor, whats up with that?
  • Asherr
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    Asherr polycounter lvl 18
    don't forget the edgy Amped Mobile commercial with the super, cool imitatible censored swearing! it's got all the coolest sh-*beep*!
  • PfhorRunner
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    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
    Well, I'm not saying that they shouldn't put functions into a phone, but just have the option of them instead. I mean, I don't want to pay for a 5.0 megapixel camera, bluetooth, yadda yadda yadda, when I'll never use it... Where as you, it seems, need something like that, so you'd buy the model with it. I was just commenting on that all them are getting a little overboard now. There are some pretty cool features, and I honestly think they're innovative and useful- for certain people.

    I don't need the PDA, because my laptop is with me whenever i leave the house (yeah, im geeky...) so if i need to take notes, I'll either have a good 'ol fashioned tablet and a pencil, or i can type it up. But putting all these things into a phone, and not selling anything cheaper is absurd. Its another way of convincing people its a good deal (Wow, 60 dollars a month... But I get all these cool features which i wont use!). Or you walk in there and look at phones, but nothing is in the affordable (for a college student) range, but the average person is too lazy to go seek out a cheaper one, so they just go "meh" and buy something they're never going to use to its fullest.
  • Bad Sector
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    Bad Sector polycounter lvl 17
    Nokia 6060 (color Series 40 phone, 64k 128x128 display, MIDP 2.0 Java support) costs around 100 euros and if you want something bare-bones, Nokia 1110 (b/w small display, only basic functionality) costs only 45 euros.

    So, there are options for those who want a simple phone.
  • PfhorRunner
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    PfhorRunner polycounter lvl 18
    Well, yes, I know, because I have a barebones phone. My statement doesn't say there's the ability, its just harder than it should be. I'm just saying I dislike their marketing technique. The in-store selection has dwindled to these useless (my opinion) feature-packed piles of Shi-*beep* ( wink.gif ). I'm not looking for a phone, just looking back on what a hassle it was, and how its changing so rapidly.

    Like I said before, I had to actually search to find a phone that was just a phone. I dont know about Europe, or any other nation, but the Verizon stores at least in the Pacific Northwest are this way. It shouldn't (my opinion again) be so hard to find something so simple. Its just that the marketing technique is to only carry the expensive phones, so they can sell expensive plans with them, instead of doing what they say they do, and help people communicate.
  • KeyserSoze
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    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
    If you look at the small print in those ads, it says they charge you between $1.99 and $2.99 a month for the privilege of using their stupid ring tone, jokes, horoscope, or whatever other useless shit they're trying to sell you.

    No thanks... if I wanted to pay for shitty jokes, I'd buy some of those popsicles that come with jokes printed on the stick... at least with those, you get a popsicle with your lame joke.
  • [MILES]
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    [MILES] polycounter lvl 17
    google = 'jokes'

    They are free that way.
  • sonic
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    sonic polycounter lvl 18
    their marketing scheme is that a charge for like 2-5 bucks a month shows up on your bill plus an extra 99 cents or so per message. they can really fuck you in the ass unless you have a mega ultra HDTV to read the small ass fine print on the screen. in fact, i smell a lawsuit!
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    [ QUOTE ]
    ...I've never really met someone who's actually done this.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I don't remember where but I read an article talking about how these companies are targetting teens. Parents are upset that these companies are basically scamming their kids and it's difficult to cancel the service once you sign up. Of coarse, this was the main stream news, so it's an epidemic that will break into your house and kill your kids while they are sleeping (plust it has meth-mouth!!!!)
  • Mark Dygert
    With cell phones in the hands of more youth these days I don't think crap like this is aimed at adults who actually pay the bill but at the kids who don't have a clue that minutes + stupid phone features = money down the drain.

    I guess there could be one other reason, there are a lot of cell-phoneys out there pretending to be on an important call or checking thier voicemail, this could be another way to feel/fake self importance.
    Cell:(at 11:15am, just like every previous day) brr-ring brr-ring (or stupid ring tone)
    Cell Phoney: (talking to no one and everyone around them) Hold on a sec everyone I gotta take this. Hello?
    Cell: (in a Krusty the Clown voice) " BWHAAAHAaaa. THIS is SIR jokes'A-LOTZ with yor majik joke of the day... (trails off)
    Cell Phoney: "phew I'm so glad that order got there, your ass would have been fired if you let it slip. No really you're the man, oh no you're the man!" (Loudly and to everyone around them) "ok I'm the man!! I know it, you know it, Everyone knows it, I'm the MAN!"
    Guy in next cube over: "Hey Mr Teh Man, shut the hell up, we heard SIR jokes'A-LOTZ, next time turn down your volume dumbass.
  • ebagg
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    ebagg polycounter lvl 17
    I've seen those commercials, with the horrible 3d characters... I guess people actually do it enough to warrant so many TV commercials...it boggles my mind too...
  • Bad Sector
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    Bad Sector polycounter lvl 17
    My sister is not a kid, she pays her own bills and stuff, yet she downloads around 20 Java games via phone every month.
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