ONLINE EVENT: Open-source apps for recording text messages?

From the webinar on using mobile technologies for advocacy and activism earlier today, one participant asked?

Are there open source apps for recording and posting texts. How do you get a short phone number assigned that people can text into?

Anyone know of any applications to record text messages received by users? Also, how DOES an organization go about getting those short numbers assigned, rather than texting to an actual phone number??

Say more what you want to do? Not sure I understand what your goals are? can you give me a use case/example?

As far as shortcodes is concerned, here is a good intro guide: www.clickatell.com/downloads/Clickatell_USA_shortcode_getting_started_guide.pdf

and one that is a bit older: www.mmaglobal.com/shortcodeprimer.pdf

Most vendors provide you with a shared shortcode as part of their packages.  This will require from your user to text in a keyword - for example, a call-to-action would say:  Text "actnow" to 60003 to get text messages about breaking events... (actnow being the keyword for your particular campaign).

Easiest way: hire a vendor. Such as http://mcommons.com/