Best Modern Ways to Communicate

[SR540Beaver]

There is no one best modern way to communicate. Different people....young or old.....respond to different forms of communication. As an OA Chapter Adviser, I prefer to communicate directly with my youth thru email. Why? Because I set at a desk all day with email open in front of me the whole time communicating with vedors, coworkers and customers. I have an numerous email distribution lists set up and I simply start typing in the first few letters of the name of the list and it pops in automatically. Then I type my message, hit send and it's gone. Quick and easy. Every single one of my boys hattttttes reading email. They want me to text them. I explain that I can send an email to a hundred people in what is sometimes a matter of seconds to just a couple of minutes. To text, I have to type my message with two thumbs on a phone smaller than a deck of cards and then I have to mentally think thru a list of people to add so I can send it. The one problem I have when I do text is getting no response. Did you read it? Is your phone dead? Are you grounded from the phone? A simple OK will do. Even just a K. We also have a facebook page and website for our chapter. I've found that some boys are power facebook users and others won't touch it with a ten foot pole. I'm not sure any of them ever go to the website, although I subscribed all of them so when there is an update, they get an email......which they don't read. A few use twitter, but most don't.

 

Our new youth leadership in the Loge is addressing this at the Lodge level. They too realize that they have to have a variety of communication methods in the hopes to get a message out to the wide variety of technology users. They are doing away with a printed newsletter. Actually, they did away with that a few years back in favor of a PDF. Instead of a PDF, they are moving to an enewsletter thru email, website, facebook and twitter. They have a facebook and twitter presence and a website. Two new things they are trying is some robo-call software to send out very short phone messages and twitters fast follow feature. Fast follow does not require a person to have a twitter account. The lodge has an account and if you text "follow ladgetwitteraccountname" to 40404, you subscribe to see any updates the lodge posts to twitter. I've actually been thinking about using this at the chapter level for all of those guys who want texts instead of email.

 

The best form of communication is still talking to each other, but kids don't seem to realize that mobile phones are "phones" instead of texting devices. Actually talking to each other requires "time" and we have become an impatient society. So, you use a variety of methods that will appeal to a variety of people.

[perdidochas]

sr540,

 

You can send an email as a text. Find out their carrier, and use the correct domain. For example for AT&T it's number@txt.att.net (number being their ten digit phone number).

[moosetracker]

Nice to know perdidochas.. Hopefully if they want to respond there text can then him my email, not my phone text messages, as I never answer or look at any text messages. They can stay in there and rot, and fill up the bin until they can hold no more for all I care..

 

We used to have Text messaging on our phones turned off, then son got a girlfriend and we had to turn it on. Now hubby occasionally texts so don't know if we can get it turned off again when son is off of our phone bill later this year.. But at least we can stop paying for unlimited text messaging service.

[Twocubdad]

Sooner or later there will be a technological solution to all this in that the various platforms will merge and it will make no difference that the recipient of a message is at a computer, Ipad or shoe phone. I'll be able to send an email and have it translated to whatever gizmo you prefer to receive it on. My guess is texting will ultimately be a fairly short-term fad, like MySpace and Twitter now seems to be. Facebook is probably a longer-term thing, but the little bit it I know about it, it is especially weak means of communication. If you have the need to let the world know you're feeling a bit constipated this morning, fine. But to communicate a specific message to a targeted group, it stinks. Sooner later Facebook will come to grips with all the privacy concerns and figure out how to allow to use it

 

Part of the problem and somewhat the generational divide is that for most kids -- and a lot of adults -- these things aren't about communications, it's a pasttime. Ten years ago, the thing with kids were GameBoys. Nothing has changed, except that the game is now to play at texting or Facebook. Why else would you send a text message to someone sitting right next to you?

 

Until then, I see no need to play along. Because you consider yourself an "early adopter" or your mommie and daddy have more dollars than sense and buy you every new gadget to come down the pike, doesn't mean I have to jump through your communications hoop. We cover most every topic with announcements during the close of each troop meeting. We have calendars and info sheets posted on the troop bullentin board. We maintain an online calendar on ScoutTracks which automatically generated email reminders and we use ScoutTracks to send emails to the whole troop. For critical information we produce old-fashioned letter individually addressed to each Scout of family. We distribute these at troop meetings and then mail any remaining letter.

 

Unfortunately, all of these media require some effort on the part of the recipient. You still need to attend troop meeings, check your email and go to your mail box to receive them.

[perdidochas]

Disagree totally about texting. I think it is going to be more permanent than facebook.

 

You send a text to the person next to you because you don't want the other people around you to hear it.

[JMHawkins]

A phone call is no more interrupting than an email or text message. When my phone rings, it is my option to answer or not - same as with any other mode of communication.

 

Sure, its your option to answer or not, but a text message still is less of an interruption than a phone call. A phone call is a request to speak with you. A text message is a note for you to read. Speaking is a more immediate request. Sure the caller can leave voice mail, but even that is more of a burden on the recipient to fetch and listen to the message than it is to read a text message. Also, a text message can be discretely read, and even responded to, without interrupting a larger group (this maybe is the problem many old fuddies have with texting eh? That kids can pass notes instead of listening to the adult lecturing them?).

 

In terms of a hierarchy, I think unprompted phone calls are urgent, text messages are normal ephemeral requests, and email is for stuff that ought to be archived, or requires more presentation space (e.g. Mr. SM, heres next years proposed troop calendar from our planning session last week please let us know if you and the ASMs can provide coverage.). Snail mail is for ceremonial things (e.g. invitations to a EBoR).

 

I'm supposed to have access to and use multiple mediums to hit everyone. May as well include telegraph, smoke signals and jungle drums to the list.

 

Lets bring back Signaling MB for real!

 

FWIW, in my work, we've started using Skype heavily - even when we are all in the same location.

[Kudu]

"May as well include telegraph, smoke signals and jungle drums to the list."

 

Don't forget honeybee texting:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/summer/bugs/bee_messengers.htm

 

 

[moosetracker]

And the bee won't sting me while I'm trying to attach the little message to his little leg?? Yeah right..

 

Got to tell son this one, he is deathly afraid of bees and he is the most stung kid I know of.. He would love this form of communication..

[Engineer61]

Hmmm...I don't know if I'm getting old, or getting to far down the techie side...

 

Personally, every time the phone rings, I do a mental "Oh, what NOW?!?" For me, the phone ringing *is* an interruption.

 

With e-mail and text messages, I "get there when I get there". Most of the time, I don't even hear my phone chime for an incoming text message...plus, both of these are on communication on my terms...I can read it right then, but I don't have to reply to it then.

 

Around the house, I don't even have my cell phone handy...drives my wife nuts.

[SR540Beaver]

TwoCub,

 

I'm going to disagree with you on a few things. I've been an ASM for new scouts and had 3 TG's I worked with. I am currently an OA Chapter Adviser and have 5 youth officers. Kids hate email. They refuse to use it unless forced. It is my preferred method of communication because it is quick and easy and I can load it with as much information and attachments as needed. My point to them is that one of these days they will have a job. That job will most likely come with an email address and whether they like it or not, they will have to use it just like they will have to get up and show up un time for work. It isn't optional. This is training for adulthood. Get used to it, deal with it. They grumble and groan. That being said, I do understand they don't like it, so I try to meet them halfway and text them when it is something smaller and is less "broadcast" in nature. Even then, I don't get many immediate responses. In a position of ledaership, I make checking and responding to email as part of their job duties.

 

Now all of that being said, I'm finding email to be a lousy resource for getting people to get involved. I've sent out informational emails on this, that and the other thing and I get almost no response from youth or adult alike. With almost 200 members in my chapter, it is not very practical to call each one of them individually and engage them in conversation. That is probably the most effective way, but not the most practical way. As I said, I expect my guys to use email. For everyone else, I try to adopt a variety of methods to reach them.

[Pint]

Leaders - Text message and e-mail, face to face in meetings or in the pub

Parents - Email,website and letter handed out to Scouts, and sometimes in the pub.

Scouts - Letter, and sometimes in the pub, usualy acompanied with their parents.(This message has been edited by pint)

[Twocubdad]

I never get letters anymore, only junk mail and bills. And I hate walking to the mailbox every day. But I do.

 

Blasting an email to 200 people to get them to do something for you is the equivalent of standing up and asking, "You guys don't want to help me with this, do you?" Clearly, when the message is to my benefit, like when I'm trying to recruit someone to do a job for me, it is in my best interest to text, Twitter, Facebook, send smoke signals or Morse code, if that's what it takes for me to get the response I need.

 

But if I'm sending information for your benefit, "Here's the list of stuff you need for this weekend" the equation changes. You need to get your butt down to the mailbox.