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The Rules of Beeping: Exchanging Messages Using Missed Calls on Mobile Phones in sub-Saharan Africa
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© 2005 Jonathan Donner
1
The rules of beeping: exchanging messages using missed calls on mobile phones in
sub-Saharan Africa
Jonathan Donner
The Earth Institute at Columbia University
## email not listed ##
Submitted to the 55
th
Annual Conference of the International Communication Association
New York, New York
May 26-30, 2005
Abstract
1
This paper explores the widespread practice of “beeping” between mobile phone users in Sub-Saharan Africa. Beeping involves calling a number and hanging up before the mobile’s owner can pick up the call. The mobile’s call log and address book functions signal who called, and when. Most beeps are requests to the mobile owner to call back immediately, but beeps can also send a pre-negotiated instrumental message such as “pick me up now”, or send a relational sign, such as “I’m thinking of you”. Based on interviews with small business owners and university students in Rwanda, the paper identifies the “rules of beeping” and assesses the significance of the practice using socio-linguistic and socio-technical approaches to communication behavior. The paper contrasts beeping with SMS/text messaging, discusses its implications for increasing access to telecommunications services, and suggests paths for future research.
1
An earlier version this paper was presented at “Seeing, Understanding, Learning in the Mobile Age”, hosted
by the Institute for Philosophical Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and T-Mobile, April 28-
30 2005, Budapest, Hungary. This paper and presentation for ICA 2005 contains a more detailed treatment of
socio-technical issues and structuration.
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| | Authors: Donner, Jonathan. |
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© 2005 Jonathan Donner
1
The rules of beeping: exchanging messages using missed calls on mobile phones in
sub-Saharan Africa
Jonathan Donner
The Earth Institute at Columbia University
## email not listed ##
Submitted to the 55
th
Annual Conference of the International Communication Association
New York, New York
May 26-30, 2005
Abstract
1
This paper explores the widespread practice of “beeping” between mobile phone users in Sub-
Saharan Africa. Beeping involves calling a number and hanging up before the mobile’s owner can
pick up the call. The mobile’s call log and address book functions signal who called, and when.
Most beeps are requests to the mobile owner to call back immediately, but beeps can also send a
pre-negotiated instrumental message such as “pick me up now”, or send a relational sign, such as
“I’m thinking of you”. Based on interviews with small business owners and university students in
Rwanda, the paper identifies the “rules of beeping” and assesses the significance of the practice
using socio-linguistic and socio-technical approaches to communication behavior. The paper
contrasts beeping with SMS/text messaging, discusses its implications for increasing access to
telecommunications services, and suggests paths for future research.
1
An earlier version this paper was presented at “Seeing, Understanding, Learning in the Mobile Age”, hosted
by the Institute for Philosophical Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and T-Mobile, April 28-
30 2005, Budapest, Hungary. This paper and presentation for ICA 2005 contains a more detailed treatment of
socio-technical issues and structuration.
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