If SMS is enough for some cellphone owners, the New York Times has news and op-ed content available for their texting pleasure.
We give the New York Times credit for their work at pushing the envelope with technology over the years. As far as electronic media goes, some of our readers might remember a PDF edition, eight pages in length, the Times published in the late ’90s.
It even included the crossword puzzle. That was cool. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived experiment. After that, the Times experimented with various ways of presenting content online, most recently reaching a decision to dismantle a subscription wall for content and op-ed columnists.
The Times took another step to meeting the demands of its readers, this time on the mobile side of the content experience. A Times by SMS feature opened today, as a complementary service to their existing mobile website.
By sending a keyword to 698698 (NYT-NYT), people can retrieve news items, and the work of columnists like tech writer David Pogue or opinion writer Maureen Dowd, via text. The arriving message contains a hyperlink, giving a person the option to view the column in the mobile browser rather than replying to the first message for the next piece of the item.
Offering a text option fulfills a straightforward niche: people who opt for whatever reason to stick with voice and texting instead of paying a hefty monthly fee for wireless Internet access.
“We want our readers to have easy access to our news and opinion, wherever they may be, and this new service makes it even easier to read us on the go. We intend to use every available platform to disseminate The Times’s quality news and information.” Rob Larson, VP for product development and management at NYTimes.com, said in a statement.
