A Conversation for Talking Point: One Minute Rants

Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 1

Mu Beta

1) Unlike other participants in this forum, I quite like Big Brother, but Big Brother live is utterly ruined by moronic texts scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

2) 'Grand Slam', the Channel 4 show, could in theory be quite interesting if you have a working knowledge of the British Quiz scene, but is utterly ruined by blatant plugs for the mobile-phone quiz that obviously funds it.

3) The repeats of 'Millionaire' I find likewise interesting, but there is a constant plea to play by text message. What's the point, honestly?

4) The recent advert from a major baked bean manufacturer pleads people to text in if you don't want their time-honoured slogan to change (at a cost of 25p plus Network Charges, I note). However there is no number to text if you want a new and different slogan.

As is pretty well-known, I despise mobile phone culture, the pithy low-brow ringtones, the illiteracy spread by text messaging, the complete and utter gibberish spouted in about 98% of all text messages, the oh-so-sad graphic covers and front-screens, and the fact that people seem to want to play games of snake when they can buy a perfectly good Game Boy for the same price as a month's calls.

However, the one thing that is worse than all these things is the terrible money-making schemes that assorted corporate low-life seem to have come up with as a result. This rant has probably taken much more than a minute, but I don't care.

B


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 2

Mu Beta

Hmmm...I'm obviously alone in this one.

B


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 3

Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences

On the baked-bean front B, there's actually two adverts running- one that gives the number to change it, one to keep it.

smiley - ale


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 4

Mu Beta

Is there? Oh well, that's OK then. I must've seen the second one a dozen times, but never the first one.

It's still a rip-off though. Why can't they pay for their own marketing.

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Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 5

Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences

I've only seen either of 'em a couple of times. I guess it's just a gimmic to get folks to pay attention to the ad.

smiley - ale


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 6

Cam

Don't get to see these British shows.

The US and Canadian version of 'Idol' must have made millions per show for these blasted cell phone firms. In the US version there were well over 20 million test message votes per week.

Don't have any of their stocks, or I might not have a problem with it!


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 7

Queeglesproggit - Keeper of the evil Thingite Avon Lady Army and Mary Poppins's bag of darkness..

Whichever marketing guy at Heinz thought of that, must be getting a big fat pay rise. "I know, we can't decide whether to change our slogan, so let's get our customers to do our thinking for us, and, they can pay us for it!" *eeexcellleent*

They must be laughing their socks off at every text that comes through smiley - silly


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 8

Mu Beta

I hate it all, I really do. It's put me off ever owning a mobile phone.

Tell you what, when I become a teacher, life is going to be made hell for any kids caught sending a crafty text message in _my_ classes.smiley - steam

B


Money-Grabbing Mobile Phone Schemes

Post 9

GraceK

I hate the fact that factual programmes are now littered with www / text instructions. The BBC News is really bad for it - I want to know what's going on in the world. I don't want to know what 'Bob of Swindon' thinks about the latest schools league table' (to take a random example). I want to be informed by the newsroom about it - that's what you get paid for.

It's especially annoying when they cut short an interview with one of the people concerned with the story, only to tell us what the public 'thinks' about it! If the interview is interesting then move the text ramblings to later in the show - it's not news.

Plus it's a sneaky way to make money! I like the internet (that's why I'm contributing to this site) but who sends messages to a Breakfast News programme???

smiley - fairy


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