Internet, SMS Ease Pain Of SARS
We've had plenty of stories about how SMS has been used (for both "good" and "evil") in dealing with SARS in Asia. While there have been plenty of stories about tech companies being hit hard by SARS (closing offices, cancelling meetings, etc.), it's been nothing but a boon for Asian carriers who make money off of text messaging. As people are hiding out in their homes and refusing to venture out, carriers are seeing a huge boost in SMS traffic - and the corresponding revenue bump. Certain companies even credit SARS with making them profitable. Of course, you have to wonder how sustainable your business model is when it relies on an out-of-the-blue infectious disease to make you profitable.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
