[LINK] SMS - shortcomings in emergency services

[Ivan Trundle]

On 19/09/2008, at 4:04 PM, Roger Clarke wrote:

> At 13:15 +0800 19/9/08, Adrian Chadd wrote:
>> Calamaties aside, don't be on-call during Australia Day or NY when
>> things break at work.
>> "I didn't get the SMS!" isn't always as uhm, believed, as you'd  
>> think.
>> Proving the SMS network didn't transmit the message is also quite
>> difficult.
>
> Surely anyone who sends an SMS, at all, and especially if they don't
> follow it up, can't be all that concerned about whatever it was they
> reported or asked!

Roger: you live in a different world to most young 'uns...

I have plenty of anecdotal evidence from my offspring and their  
friends that SMS is the *only* channel of communication via the  
telephone. It's all to do with being able to send an SMS at at least a  
20th of the cost of a voice call, or much less. They've cottoned on  
ages ago that SMS is not always realtime, but often use this as an  
excuse for not responding more quickly (or 'more quick' as they'd  
say...).

iT