Text messaging recovered.(Who ... When ... Where ... How ... WHAT?)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

It was the back pedal heard 'round the world.

Just days after Verizon Wireless deemed NARAL Pro-Choice America's message too "controversial" and "unsavory" to approve a short code for the nonprofit's text-message program, Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon reversed that decision.

The change of heart was fodder for multiple blog posts and Internet forums, where some suggested the wireless company quickly caved to one battle in an attempt to stave off defeat in the longer-term net neutrality war.

According to Ted Miller, NARAL communications director, at 9 a.m. EST on Sept. 27 the Washington, D.C., charity alerted supporters to the decision. Less than two hours later, supporters sent more than 20,000 emails to Verizon Wireless, protesting the move. Just a day later, the company made its now-infamous about-face.

Said Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson: "The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect."

During the 24-hour period NARAL experienced a 62-percent increase in subscriptions to its text-message program, Web site traffic increased by 213 percent, and there were roughly 187 blog postings.

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