In the mid-1900’s, telegram, a complex system of communication that was internationally popular at the time, used to have an option for self-deleting messages. This allowed users to send their messages unaccompanied and then be free from any responsibility for it in case people were too busy or did not care about receiving the message. It is interesting to know how this technique evolved into what we presently use today; a technology that allows users to send anonymous text, which can be assessed more carefully.
Early telegram systems
In the early 1900’s, there were telegraph systems that were based on the ability to send messages through the telegraph, which were placed in many cities around the world. The messages could be sent for free and no one would be accountable for them. The messages would then make their way to other cities that were even further from the sender and receive it with a similar system of communication.
This was not just limited to countries but also included other continents such as Europe and America. There were a few countries that had a government monopoly or control over the telegraph system, therefore, it was not possible for other countries to have access to the information. This made the telegram system very relevant to the world at that time.
Self-deleting messages
The telegram system was also known to have a self deleting texts option, which was mainly used by people who wanted to send information they did not want other people to see. For example, an employee would send a message to their employer using the self-destructing message feature and then close the system before anyone else saw it. This way, they were able to send the message and get rid of the evidence at the same time.
Text messaging
The development of text messaging led to the emergence of very basic systems that allowed users to send messages from one mobile device to another. This was mainly used by people who were in a hurry and did not have time for long sentences.
