....... everyone these days are a journo ...........

this is something I predicted when I helped develop the first videophone concept....... in 1999 !

Its Bobs story time again;

Several years ago I met a man who told me that (he alone ) had invented texting in the 1980's . I told him that was strange as it was a special forces concept so secretive that lower ranks in the UK special force in the 1970's were not even allowed to see or try it (wonder how I know that). Sort of took the wind out of his sails.

A long time friend of mine that did invent some great gear that transformed the oil industry (University based) was quizzed when mobile phones first arrived why he did not have one as he always had the latest technology. 35 years ago he said why would I want one as I am always going to be contactable and on call - think about it.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

yorky, my understanding was 'Text-ing' was a communicating protocol between masts used in the cellular network. It was an overhead, which later became a 'short message' service that network operators could sell to subscribers, at no cost to the network.

Now Racal, a former military provider (now evolved into Vodafone) were one of the first mobile phone operators / handset manufactures .

Does this make your 'special forces' connection ?

Signed the official secrets list too many times to comment, wink, wink . FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

yorky .... me too ......its official ..... and its Secret !

..... did you also work for Station X-ray ..... and ....GCHKew gardens ??

well when I was 2nd man in off the embassy balcony in 1980 (great reunion on Friday was had) I text my mum to turn the news on so she could watch me

(unfortunately she didn't have TV... or a mobile phone)

Tigger wrote:

But what of the poor old FL2?

Technical term is - its ...............

There was a spate of them going up a while back as reported on here:

http://www.freel2.com/forum/post281092.html

Interesting re balcony Rogb as Thatcher was going to trash those boys until that incident as most politicians had no real idea of who, what or when. Now of course its become the opposite and they want a Disco full of the lads behind them as they drive between election rallies telling us to work longer and harder for less money with diminishing health care and pensions.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Don't think it was Thatcher herself wanting to disband them (again!) it was the cabinet and the defence minister. Same as the Vulcan and Victor fleet 2 years later that flew south for the winter

When I back in Dan Yang in the DMZ, on operation Walford, i was texting using a simple bit of string and too corned beef tins, took bloody ages to send all those @011001110000111000111001000011100100011110

 Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

npinks ..... you should have used 'modified huffman coding' ....

npinks wrote:

When I back in Dan Yang in the DMZ, on operation Walford, i was texting using a simple bit of string and too corned beef tins, took bloody ages to send all those @011001110000111000111001000011100100011110

Corned Beef!! in my day we could only get spam.  DAVE.

I did say it was Bobs Story time again.

Believe it or not as I have another one. I am a member of the Austrian Alpine Club in UK, over 10,000 members (most for insurance). My membership number is 007. The Austrians at mountain huts never did get the joke when I said I would have to kill them if I told them my number.

Full of cold and feel more like than  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current