Via Visual Poetry

I am interested in language because it wounds or seduces me.
- Roland Barthes, The Pleasure of the Text

Econet SMS spam has driven me crazy for a while. Like, do I really need multiple messages from them advertising their products? No. And I also don’t really need messages via them advertising others’ products. I know that I’m not the only one that finds this irritating.

But I just got a text message from Econet reading:

Advertise your products, services or events to registered Econet subscribers through bulk SMS in your chosen areas. Up to 2cents per SMS 0778-915177-9.

A few things came up for me:

1. Who is a registered subscriber? Surely Econet can’t mean anyone who has a registered Econet line (thanks to the Interception of Communications Act, anyone with an Econet line has to register it).
2. If this is some sort of “registered to receive advertisements” subscriber, where is Econet’s opt-in message, where they tell their subscribers about the service and invite them to opt-in?
3. Unsolicited text messages from advertisers to Econet subscribers cost up to two cents – but text messages between friends, colleagues, and relatives who actually know each other, and actually want to hear from one another cost up to 9 cents per SMS. Where’s the customer service in that?

Particularly given the attention customer service got on a recent 263chat, the fact that Econet came up there (and we know they were listening . . .), and their recent data use overcharging blunder, is this really the service Econet should be introducing now?

Personally, I don’t think it’s one they should ever introduce. Unsolicited messages are annoying. When we get them via email, we delete them as spam. Why should our mobile phones be treated any differently – And why should companies be given discounts to send out spam?

I’m Tweeting this to Econet now and inviting them to respond. Others’ comments / responses also very welcome.

Amnesty International welcomes Vladimir Putin to Amsterdam.

Via this isn’t happiness

We are our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.
- Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker

Via this isn’t happiness