Table of Contents	7
	Contributors	13
	Inside Text: an introduction	15
	Richard Harper, Leysia Palen and Alex Taylor	15
	References	19
	Section One: Text versus Talk	22
	1 Changing Cultures of Written Communication: Letter – E-mail – SMS	23
	Introduction	23
	Forms and functions of ‘letter-like’ communication – empirical findings	26
	The changing of medial practices – some theoretical reflections	36
	References	42
	2 Language in SMS – a socio-linguistic view	47
	Introduction	47
	The communicative setting of mobile text messaging	48
	Written or spoken language in mobile text messaging?	49
	Previous studies of mobile text messaging	50
	Data and Methods	52
	Results	54
	Conclusions	63
	References	64
	3 Please reply! The replying norm in adolescent SMS communication	67
	Introduction	67
	The reply obligation to the initiating SMS	68
	The deviating sequence	71
	The continuing sequence	78
	Alternative replying options: when the SMS is responded to with a telephone call	79
	SMS messages which do not require a response	82
	Chain messages	82
	Night time messages	83
	Messages as a P.S. to a telephone call	83
	Conclusion	85
	References	86
	4 Nascent Communication Genres within SMS and MMS	89
	Introduction	89
	SMS and MMS diffusion	91
	What is a genre?	92
	Typifications of SMS	98
	The context of SMS	102
	The MMS experience	104
	MMS as a post card	105
	MMS as documentation	107
	MMS as quasi-technical documentation	108
	Other MMS genres	109
	Textual and pictorial interaction	110
	References	113
	Section Two: Texting and the Moral Order of Place	116
	5 From Voice to Text: continuity and change in the use of mobile phones in France and Japan	117
	Introduction	117
	Using Email and SMS in France and Japan	119
	Japan: switching from voice to mobile text	119
	SMS in France	124
	Motivations	127
	Embarrassment and ordinary phone calls	130
	Mobile messaging and the display of emotions	134
	Conclusion: the dynamics of direct and indirect exchanges in mediated communication	137
	References	140
	6 Intimate Connections: Contextualizing Japanese youth and mobile messaging	141
	Introduction	141
	Method and conceptual framework	142
	Japanese youth and the politics of place	147
	Tele-cocooning in the full-time intimate community	151
	Cultural politics of youth mobile media	153
	Conclusions	156
	Acknowledgements	157
	References	157
	7 The Breakthrough of Text Messaging in Finland	161
	Introduction	161
	Continuous use	162
	Playful text messaging?	165
	Group messages	167
	Problems and luck in interpretation	168
	Sharing the same rhythm – synchronous living	170
	Conclusions	171
	Acknowledgements	172
	References	172
	8 SMS Use Among Deaf Teens and Young Adults in Norway	175
	Introduction	175
	The deaf and their technologies	176
	The deaf in Norway	176
	Technology for the deaf	177
	The study	178
	Methods	178
	Theoretical grounding	178
	Findings	180
	Conclusion	187
	Acknowledgements	187
	References	187
	9 Mobile Communications vis-à-vis Teen Emancipation, Peer Group Integration and Deviance	189
	Introduction	189
	Method	192
	Mobile communications access and use	193
	The social context of teens	195
	Results	196
	Voice mobile telephony	196
	SMS	198
	Discussion	199
	Integration into the group	199
	Boundary-testing	200
	Serious criminality	200
	Mobile communication and teen deviance	201
	Appendix: Regression results	204
	Regression results from the analysis of SMS use	205
	References	206
	10 Desire and Loathing in the Cyber Philippines	209
	Introduction	209
	Ping-Ping & Albert part 1	209
	Lexical moonshine	212
	The Philippines – the text capital of the World	213
	Txt 2 txt	216
	Part II: Albert & Raquel	221
	Albert & Raquel	224
	Shunning notions of perpetual contact	225
	Fidelity, adultery and something in between	228
	Raquel’s dilemma	229
	Breaking up in cyberspace: rituals to forget	230
	Conclusion	231
	Acknowledgments	232
	References	232
	Section Three: Designers’ Text	235
	11 Usability Issues of Sending Text Messages	237
	An introduction to text input technique	237
	How to write text messages	238
	Usability measurements for text input	242
	Usability issues for text input systems	242
	Usability issues of touch screen solutions	245
	The future of message input	248
	References	250
	12 Design for Richer Reachability: Mobile inspection in building maintenance	251
	Introduction	251
	Related research and background	252
	Findings from the field	254
	Examples from the field	256
	The Control and Surveillance Centre	254
	Building maintenance in the municipality	255
	Designing for richer reachability in building maintenance work	258
	What do we know?	258
	Scenario	261
	How to get there	263
	Conclusions	264
	Acknowledgements	265
	References	266
	13 Working Text: Texting Work	267
	Introduction	267
	Technologies for texting: Hermes and SPAM	268
	Hermes overview and requirements	269
	Hermes functionality	270
	SPAM overview and requirements	272
	SPAM functionality	274
	Issues: User experience with Hermes and SPAM	276
	‘Working Text’: Usage and sharing context	277
	Concluding remarks	280
	Acknowledgements	282
	References	282
	14 Gift of the Gab	285
	Introduction	285
	Field study	286
	Social exchange	287
	Embodied meaning	287
	Obligations of exchange	287
	Demonstration of social networks	288
	From the field to design	289
	Informing design	289
	Design concept	291
	Conclusions	297
	Acknowledgements	298
	References	298
	15 Swarm: Text messaging designed to enhance social coordination	301
	Introduction	301
	Background	302
	Smart Mobs and text messaging in social groups	304
	SWARM	305
	Hyper awareness	305
	Hyper coordination and smart convergence	305
	The Swarm command language	305
	Managing groups	306
	Broadcasting	306
	Polling	306
	Swarm notifications	307
	Swarm website	307
	User studies	307
	Scavenger Hunt Card Game study	308
	Participants	308
	Procedures	308
	Results	309
	Preliminary questionnaire	309
	Game results	310
	Post games Swarm feedback	312
	Lessons learned from Scavenger Hunt study	313
	Focus group and design evolution of Swarm groups	313
	Informal observation of Swarm in a real social setting	314
	Design lessons learned from informal observations	316
	Conclusion and future work	317
	Acknowledgments	317
	References	318
	16 Default Thinking: Why consumer products fail	319
	Introduction	319
	Default Thinking	320
	Legacy Vision	321
	Implied Consumer	322
	Design Syntax and Semantics	324
	Summary of existing work	328
	MMS summary	330
	Creating future product concepts	331
	Approach	331
	How do we start?	331
	Technology and business issues	333
	Four product concepts	334
	Existing handsets: gift storage	334
	SMS with new software: Tap	334
	MMS with new software: VoiceSMS	335
	No technical grounding: GroupSMS	336
	Concerns	337
	Discussion	337
	Conclusion	339
	References	339
	Index	341