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Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

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Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#41

I’ve built something similar with ios shortcuts. One shortcut that uses prompts and data jar to schedule and store messages. It also creates a cal event as a reminder to myself. It supports group texts. Then I have three automations that run in the morning, noon, and afternoon that check for scheduled messages and send them. Works well. Happy to share if interest.

what's the purpose for this?

I use it more as a reminder system. Someone tells me to checkin next week or in a couple days and I can just schedule the text right then so I dont forget.

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where did you read a crapple insult in his comment?

Comment is removed but my guess is that he's talking about the general very old flame war style stuff like "M$" and "Microshill" and "Crapple" etc. The "us vs them" mentality of computing.

No, I read it as son as it got posted, before it was removed and there was nothing about "crapple" in it or anything objectively ofensive or that broke HN rules.

The removed comment was basically along the lines of "when people say the word computer, they generally don't think of Apple" referring in this context to the fact that the app written by OP said it requires a "computer", giving the impression it's cross platform on all computers specifically, PCs which are still the majority marketshare in the computer space, yet it only works on macs, therefore it should be more specific about that restriction, which OP later corrected in the readme.

That's why I asked, since it seemed like he brought up a fair point that got unnecessarily attacked by someone going off topic and attacking him with false accusations about some imaginary crapple joke, plus a mob flagging it for no reason, which made me disappointed to see on this community.

Sometimes I feel like posts that are even remotely critical about Apple or Macs Apple on HN, get flagged and generally attacked in replies with hateful comments. I keep hoping people would be more objective and moderate here and less defensive about a favorite brand.

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Comment is removed but my guess is that he's talking about the general very old flame war style stuff like "M$" and "Microshill" and "Crapple" etc. The "us vs them" mentality of computing.

No, I read it as son as it got posted, before it was removed and there was nothing about "crapple" in it or anything objectively ofensive or that broke HN rules. The removed comment was basically along the lines of "when people say the word computer, they generally don't think of Apple" referring in this context to the fact that the app written by OP said it requires a "computer", giving the impression it's cross pla…

I think there's just as much unreasonably anti-Apple activity on HN as there is pro-Apple -- if you think otherwise (in either direction), it's probably your bias showing.

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I read it as son as it got posted, before it was removed and there was nothing about "crapple" in it or anything objectively ofensive or that broke HN rules. The removed comment was basically along the lines of "when people say the word computer, they generally don't think of Apple" referring in this context to the fact that the app written by OP said it requires a "computer", giving the impression it's cross pla…

I think there's just as much unreasonably anti-Apple activity on HN as there is pro-Apple -- if you think otherwise (in either direction), it's probably your bias showing.

>I think there's just as much unreasonably anti-Apple activity on HN as there is pro-Appl

No there isn't. Pro-Apple comments don't get downvote bombed and flagged for no reason as much as those anti-Apple. If you don't see this it's your bias showing.

And what was "unreasonably anti-Apple" in that comment that it needed be flagged? By market share it's true, for most people saying "a computer" is gonna mean a PC, not just a Mac only.

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#46
post #8

Out of curiosity couldn't one recreate Twilio just by running an extended version of this from a Macbook? You could read all inbound messages from the Messages app and reply as well. You could even hook it up to a local LLM and run a small support agent. Is there ANY reason a small business owner couldn't do this and avoid paying SaaS fees?

“For a Linux user, you can already build such a system yourself quite trivially by getting an FTP account, mounting it locally with curlftpfs, and then using SVN or CVS on the mounted filesystem. From Windows or Mac, this FTP account could be accessed through built-in software.”

People (and corporations) will pay a lot of money to have someone else manage and maintain their infrastructure.

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#47
post #21

If you don’t have an Apple computer but have an iOS device, you can also do something similar with the “Shortcuts.app” + “Calendar.app”. I have a daily shortcut that runs at X time. Shortcut checks a calendar for events, if today contains one or more events. It will parse the text from these events (comma separated fully qualified phone numbers or iMessage accounts), and send the message contained in the body of the…

[flagged]

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#48
I like reviewing my scheduled messages before sending (maybe the person has said something in the meantime), so the solution I came up with is a shortcut which first asks for text input, then a contact, then the time. All in the best possible interface in context, no need to worry about special syntax or formatting.

The message text is URL encoded, the phone number is auto-retrieved from the contact, then an sms: URL is generated and added to my reminders app. When the time comes, I simply click the link and it auto-populates in Messages, ready to send or tweak.

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#49
post #48

I like reviewing my scheduled messages before sending (maybe the person has said something in the meantime), so the solution I came up with is a shortcut which first asks for text input, then a contact, then the time. All in the best possible interface in context, no need to worry about special syntax or formatting. The message text is URL encoded, the phone number is auto-retrieved from the contact, then an sms: URL…

I like your solution a bit more because it doesn’t require scheduling this script to run on a cron or something. How do you URL encode the message? Could you share the whole shortcut

Re: Show HN: Schedule iMessage Texts from .txt Files

#50
post #49
post #48

I like reviewing my scheduled messages before sending (maybe the person has said something in the meantime), so the solution I came up with is a shortcut which first asks for text input, then a contact, then the time. All in the best possible interface in context, no need to worry about special syntax or formatting. The message text is URL encoded, the phone number is auto-retrieved from the contact, then an sms: URL…

I like your solution a bit more because it doesn’t require scheduling this script to run on a cron or something. How do you URL encode the message? Could you share the whole shortcut

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