Facts discovers new trend called "texting"

The local daily paper that covers Brazosport has a Page One feature in Monday's editions about a new technologically based trend known as "texting."

In interviews with a county commissioner, a teacher, a prison administrator, a systems administrator and a couple of homemakers, reporter John Lowman writes that the new texting trend is catching on in southern Brazoria County -- apparently because of its amazing convenience to aid in the exchange of information.

"Texting, or sending short, typed messages via cellular telephone, allows someone to respond to brief requests, set meeting times or know what time to be home for dinner," Lowman's informative story reported, citing County Commissioner Matt Sebesta as its source.

Others around Brazosport backed up the commish's assertion that "texting" is real handy, either in their business life or their personal family life.

While cellpones and texting aren’t allowed in class, Brazosport ISD teacher Jan Sills uses tiny typing to connect with family.

“I love texting,” she said. “I let my sister know that I’m leaving to go to her house for a family event or when I get home.”

"Texting" apparently is useful to citizens who do not work outside the home, the newspaper reported.

Debbie Erskine of Lake Jackson said texting is a convenient way to communicate with family during the day. She and her husband, Steve, and two children trade notes. Text messages often are more reliable than phone calls, which can drop or not connect, she said.

Jennifer Medina doesn’t text for business, but does communicate with her husband, Ricardo, at work. The stay-at-home mother of four children ranging in age from 3 months to 7 years often needs items from the store and can’t just leave her children.

“And my husband can’t have phone calls during the day,” Medina said. “If I need him to buy something before he comes home, I can send him a simple text. This way he doesn’t have to call me back and possibly interrupt something I might be doing, like putting the boys down for a nap.”

As avid consumers of news, we'd like to see more local news coverage of trends such as texting, and we commend the local newspaper for keeping Brazosport abreast of such developments.

Along those lines, we've heard a a lot of talk lately about "blogs" and "Twittering," in which ordinary citizens communicate electronically via computers. It sounds like something that very well may be going on in Brazosport and could merit attention in the newspaper.