Considering that You and Huisgenoot are little more than English and Afrikaans versions of the same magazine, it is odd that the latest issues have similar headlines, differing in one way, proclaiming that SMS (Huisgenoot) or MXit (You) destroyed someone’s marriage. Is MXit really just the same thing as SMS? If so then why are we seeing reports of MXit, but not SMS, being used for nefarious purposes. Why not lay the blame at the feet of SMS too?
Mixed Messages
26 May 2007 · 9 Comments
Categories: Thoughts
Tagged: Internet, Cell, SMS, MXit, Telephony, Cellular
9 responses so far ↓
prick in my rear // 27 May 2007 at 8:54
Mxit or SMS destroyed the marriage? say what, did MXit or the sms’s send the messages by themselves?
RobC // 27 May 2007 at 10:30
Steve, they got the terminology MXit up.
MXit runs on the SMS service so actually both are correct.
Wayne // 27 May 2007 at 18:50
MXit provides similar functionality to that provided by the SMS service, but MXit utilises GPRS which is why it is significantly cheaper than SMS. With both providing the same funtionality, I guess both have the potential to affect a relationship if abused.
Steve Crane // 27 May 2007 at 19:26
Certainly but how can you lay the blame on the tool? If there was no MXit then SMS could be used, or e-mail, or telephone calls, or hand-written letters, or illicit meetings. If someone is going to cheat, thereby destroying their marriage, they will do so regardless of the availability of communication mechanisms. I guess the way the media and public figures try to paint services like MXit as evil just winds me up. Like any tool they can be used in good and bad ways, but they’re just tools, it’s the people using them that may be evil.
Wayne // 28 May 2007 at 16:43
100% Steve. Tools are designed to be useful and cause no harm until they are in the wrong hands or put to the wrong use.
Eishman // 29 May 2007 at 11:49
It never ceases to amaze me where people attempt to place the blame.
Eishman // 29 May 2007 at 12:37
Ok, you go me “wound up” enough to have my say on my blog, Eish!! http://eishcoza.blogspot.com
tbhanks // 30 May 2007 at 9:19
Also see Louisa’s post on this: http://louisa123.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/are-you-saying-the-devil-made-you-do-it/
Louisa // 30 May 2007 at 10:39
Imagine that - looks like a hot topic Steve? (Thanks for the mention tbhanks!)
As you know I agree completely with you on this topic. It’s just a tool, people still make the decision to use it for whatever purposes they want to.
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