Prompt's TechBlog

AT&T issued a press release this week, declaring Valentine's Day as the busiest texting day of the year. Reports indicate the amount of text messages sent on February 14th jumps 33% higher than an average day, with Christmas a close second (30% higher) followed by New Years (26% higher).

AT&T's VP of Data Marketing (a man who gets paid to promote text messages) said "Today's etiquette allows for serious or meaningful messages, like those sent on holidays, to be sent via text messages," implying that there is a decreasing need for us to be in any real contact with our loved ones. It's a little surprising to me that on the day Hallmark wants us all to send each other cards and go out to fancy dinners, it is now supposedly acceptable to just send out a text message.

The press release even provides a handy list of text message shorthand content that will be common on Valentine's Day:

2G2BT [Too good to be true]
4EAE [Forever and ever]
4U [For you]
AML [All my love]
D8 [Date]
FTBOMH [From the bottom of my heart]
GNSD [Good night, sweet dreams]
H2CUS [Hope to see you soon]
ILU [I love you]
IMU [I miss you]
ISLY [I still love you]
IWALU [I will always love you]
KOTC [Kiss on the cheek]
KOTL [Kiss on the lips]
MUSM [Miss you so much]
QT [Cutie]
TY [Thank you]
TOY [Thinking of you]
URH [You are hot]
UW [You're welcome]
XOXOXO [Hugs & Kisses]

I suppose they are saying that if you can't be with the one you love, text them. Hopefully not too many people out there take this release to heart or there could be thousands of angry women all over the country this Thursday. But if you are planning a romantic text for Valentine's Day, then you might actually find the following, lesser known, sms shorthands a bit more useful:

BMSLGF? [Be my Second Life girlfriend?]
2N2C ITGR8? [Too nerdy to call, isn't texting great?]
RFR2$... @}-,-->---- [Real flowers are too expensive, so here's a virtual rose]
W2D8NWOW? [Want to date in World of Warcraft?]
ILU BENE2C [I love you, but evidently, not enough to call]
IMASVA [I am alone, so very alone]
W2C2MPB? [Want to come to my parents' basement?]
ROFL@ATT [Rolling on floor laughing at AT&T]

So apparently cell phones don't cause cancer, but they can still kill relationships...