8 ms·

I did this a few months ago, but I'm thinking of turning it off. I know it's trivial, but there's something deeply annoying about being dinged $0.20 a pop for t

I did this a few months ago, but I'm thinking of turning it off. I know it's trivial, but there's something deeply annoying about being dinged $0.20 a pop for the SMS message to get the code. I'll have to see if I can set up the Google Authenticator; I hadn't heard of that before.

yock 14y ago
Even without GA (which, if you have an Android or iPhone, I don't see why you'd have to be without) $0.20 a month seems an incredibly small price to pay for the benefit of 2-factor auth.
- oddthink 14y ago
  I know, it's irrational, but it adds an extra annoyance factor, far more than it should. I mean, I spend far more every time I take the subway somewhere. Driving across the GW bridge costs $12, and I don't worry myself about that. It turns into four or five SMS every month, when I usually average zero (various computers, various browsers, etc.) So suddenly, there's this line item where there used to be none. I can't explain quite why it bugs me. In any case, I hadn't heard of GA before. I've installed it and life is good.
- icebraining 14y ago
  which, if you have an Android or iPhone, I don't see why you'd have to be without You don't even need one of those, there are implementations of the same algorithm for other systems. I use my Nokia S60 with a J2ME application: http://ds3global.com/index.php/en/news-a-events/news/97-securing-data-delivery-hassle-free http://ds3global.com/index.php/en/news-a-events/news/97-secu...
shawabawa3 14y ago
You pay for incoming SMS? How does that even work?
- mike-cardwell 14y ago
  It is standard to pay for receiving as well as sending SMS in the US. Everybody knows this is insane.
  - nollidge 14y ago
    It's not at all standard on smartphones though. Almost all data plans include at least several hundred texts per month.
    - oddthink 14y ago
      Not on AT&T, as far as I can tell. It's either $20/month for unlimited messaging, or $0.20 each. So, unless you're sending or receiving more than 100 messages a month, you're better off without a plan.
      - danweber 14y ago
        I've got a 200 message/month plan from AT&T for $5 a month. My only complaint is that I can't share messages across the two lines on the account so each gets billed $5. (Also, no data plan.)
- _delirium 14y ago
  Standard American mobile billing is to bill both parties, both caller and callee, for both voice and SMS. Contrary to the European practice where caller/sender pays everything. Mostly it's a downside for Americans, but one plus is that it means the caller's fee doesn't vary based on callee: unlike in some European countries (or Skype), calling a landline vs. a mobile phone doesn't charge the caller different rates.
  - pooriaazimi 14y ago
    > Standard American mobile billing is to bill both parties That's the most bizarre thing I've heard in weeks. Honestly, I'm still laughing. BOTH for SMS and voice?!! God, that's just crazy. No wonder you Americans hate telco companies so much. And I though 0.25 cents (only for outgoing SMSs) that we pay here is absurd.
Matt_Cutts 14y ago
oddthink, I'd definitely check out Google Authenticator. It removes the need for any kind of SMS.

yock 14y ago

Even without GA (which, if you have an Android or iPhone, I don't see why you'd have to be without) $0.20 a month seems an incredibly small price to pay for the benefit of 2-factor auth.

oddthink 14y ago
I know, it's irrational, but it adds an extra annoyance factor, far more than it should. I mean, I spend far more every time I take the subway somewhere. Driving across the GW bridge costs $12, and I don't worry myself about that. It turns into four or five SMS every month, when I usually average zero (various computers, various browsers, etc.) So suddenly, there's this line item where there used to be none. I can't explain quite why it bugs me. In any case, I hadn't heard of GA before. I've installed it and life is good.
icebraining 14y ago
which, if you have an Android or iPhone, I don't see why you'd have to be without You don't even need one of those, there are implementations of the same algorithm for other systems. I use my Nokia S60 with a J2ME application: http://ds3global.com/index.php/en/news-a-events/news/97-securing-data-delivery-hassle-free http://ds3global.com/index.php/en/news-a-events/news/97-secu...

shawabawa3 14y ago

You pay for incoming SMS? How does that even work?

mike-cardwell 14y ago
It is standard to pay for receiving as well as sending SMS in the US. Everybody knows this is insane.
- nollidge 14y ago
  It's not at all standard on smartphones though. Almost all data plans include at least several hundred texts per month.
  - oddthink 14y ago
    Not on AT&T, as far as I can tell. It's either $20/month for unlimited messaging, or $0.20 each. So, unless you're sending or receiving more than 100 messages a month, you're better off without a plan.
    - danweber 14y ago
      I've got a 200 message/month plan from AT&T for $5 a month. My only complaint is that I can't share messages across the two lines on the account so each gets billed $5. (Also, no data plan.)
_delirium 14y ago
Standard American mobile billing is to bill both parties, both caller and callee, for both voice and SMS. Contrary to the European practice where caller/sender pays everything. Mostly it's a downside for Americans, but one plus is that it means the caller's fee doesn't vary based on callee: unlike in some European countries (or Skype), calling a landline vs. a mobile phone doesn't charge the caller different rates.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago
  > Standard American mobile billing is to bill both parties That's the most bizarre thing I've heard in weeks. Honestly, I'm still laughing. BOTH for SMS and voice?!! God, that's just crazy. No wonder you Americans hate telco companies so much. And I though 0.25 cents (only for outgoing SMSs) that we pay here is absurd.

Matt_Cutts 14y ago

oddthink, I'd definitely check out Google Authenticator. It removes the need for any kind of SMS.