to expect a thank you text

[ellebelle27]

In the past 2 weeks I've sent the same friend a happy birthday text, a text to say congrats on passing an exam, and a good luck with your house move text. Not once have i received a thank you back (we have exchanged messages about other things so I know she has a working phone and hasn't stopped speaking to me). I don't expect her to have acknowledged all 3 but is it too much to expect someone to send a quick thx back for at least 1 of the 3?

No, it's not too much to expect - completely reasonable.

But then - I'm the person who sees a "Good luck" text, thinks oh that's sweet of X, must reply, and then gets distracted by shit and the phone is left in the kitchen and then so much time has passed that a thank you would seem weird. I'm just shite at texting - can't hold thoughts long enough.

I'm the same. I forget. Sometimes in an attempt to be polite you can go on for ages. Texts aren't good media for conversations. A good luck text is more like a birthday card- no reply really needed. Although if I picked it up immediately and could text back I would text "thx"

You obviously like texting, ellebelle. Does your friend like it and engage with it as much as you do generally? Would you actually be satisfied with a quick 'thanks!' or would you expect more than that? Does your friend text you when you have something going on that she would need to wish you luck for, or similar? i mean, you're text to let your friend know you're thinking of her for x, y, z reason... what is a 'thanks' supposed to do? I think that a 'thanks' is unnecessary and a bit of waste of a text, but accept that other people don't.

I find it very, very wearing. Texting for me is not about chatting, it's perfunctory messages about meeting up when/where, etc.

Can you give her a ring and have a chat or meet up?

I hate texting and whatsapping. I get alot of long texts, and it's a chore forming replies. I would love to get short texts wishing me luck, I would reply back with a thanks. Then again, I'd probably feel I should write you an essay.

Anyone else think whatsapping is a major influence on people writing longer and longer messages?

I miss the golden old days of limiting texts to 140 characters to avoid paying another 10p to send the text.

Wait a minute, the poor woman had an exam and a house move in the same week?

She's probably run off her feet and stressed out her mind. She's also probably had loads of similar texts.

You're her friend have a little empathy and give her a pass on meeting your texting etiquette until at least next week.

Yes leelu, whatsapping drove me crackers for that reason. I had it on my phone twice and felt plagued with updates and photos, messages from more people than I could manage politely (and keep up with them). So I took it off and never again will I put it on.