Scotty, do you provide tech support via text messages?
___________

This is a very good question. The number of technical questions via text has increased a great deal recently so I’m glad you asked.

I strongly prefer you send your questions via email. There are many advantages to this for me. If I glance at your email question during the day but don’t have time to respond right then, I can mark it as unread and come back to it later in the day. Also, it’s much easier for me to take the content of your email and post both the question and answer to my answers section (like you’re reading now) so that others can see it. Lastly, often, the answer to a question requires more space and resources than I can compile within texting on my phone. I often like to supply screenshots or provide links to other sites and texting does not work well for those elements.

If you send me a technical question via text, I may look at it when I get it, but I will have long forgotten about it by late that evening when I sit down to answer questions. There’s no way to mark texts as unread.

Along those same lines. I prefer you do not leave messages via the phone. I prefer you email me so I can respond to it via email or my website for the same reasons I listed above. Often, my day doesn’t end until later in the evening, past a time I consider appropriate to call back.

I certainly don’t mind if you text me about our appointment time if you’ll be late or last minute directions etc...but asking technical questions via text message will most likely be ignored. Keep in mind that I do also offer free support every Monday evening at 7pm via my town hall.