Harassment by Text On the Uprise

One of the newest epidemics in the world of texting is Textual Harassment, a form of harassment delivered by text message.  Textual harassment and techno-stalking are a growing concern, especially because it’s so quick and easy to accomplish, and affects all ages of both women and men.
Textual Harassment is an unfortunate reality that has developed as a result of the growth and popularity of texting, to the degree that special laws have been put in place to protect the innocent.

The laws that define textual harassment vary from state to state, but in California a single unsolicited text message that threatens physical harm or is obscene is enough to meet the definition of textual harassment. If the text doesn't fall into either of these categories, then the text must be sent several times in order to be considered textual harassment. 

What should you do if you get text harassed?


I – Ignore the Text – DON’T RESPOND & make a copy of the message

B – Block – Call your provider and have them block the number

R – Report – Report the harassment to the police


It really comes down to one question when you're trying to decide if a text has crossed the line. Ask yourself “Do you feel threatened or violated in any way?” If your answer is “Yes”, stop responding to the texts, keep copies of the messages in your e-mail, and if needed, block their number. If you feel threatened, strongly consider reporting them to the police, which is why you need to document the messages by making copies.
 
Most importantly, if you get harassed by text, understand that you’re not alone. There is millions of textual harassment cases reported every year in the United States, and it's my strong opinion that most cases go unreported.
 
For more information and reports published by the US Department of Justice, Violence Against Women, go directly to their site at:  http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/ .

Diary of RBTL's iPhone Application - How Much?

The votes are in!

It's been decided that the iPhone App (and the Droid App) for Read Between the Lines should cost .99 cents each, and should be "Ad Free".

The overwhelming reason is simply "to attract more downloads".

The Applications continue to be in development, with a projected release date of January 29th.

I'll be posting screen shots soon!

Thanks for everyone's input!

Texting Tips For Tiger

As we've painfully learned from the media, in the case of Tiger Woods vs. the alleged gals that are coming out of every nook and cranny with saved voice mails, a text message might have been a safer way to go.

Here's a few texting tips for Tiger:

If you're going to contact your girlfriends, don't leave recorded messages or FB updates that can be later held against you.

And definitely don't leave panicked messages about your wife, on your girlfriends voice mail! Instead, send her a text message. This way, your voice won't be able to be compared against your actual voice by the media (and heard around the world by just about everyone) just to be sure it's really your voice.

Text your inappropriate messages appropriately so you don't get busted.

Make up your own secret text lingo that no one understands but you and your gal pals. This way, your code won't be broken by your loved ones.

Don't risk sexting with your gals - a picture says a thousand words you DON'T want to hear.

Don't use your girlfriends real names in your address book, so your loved ones can easily find them. Names like Bambi, Lola or Bubbles are dead give aways. Think about changing their names to George, Louis or Thomas. What woman would Read Between the Lines with those names?

Seriously, don't try any of this at home - it's not worth it.

Instead, love the one you're with and keep those helicopters that are circling your home 24/7 away... you're just too good to be in the middle of all the crap!