[BallyBill]

"Text messaging", "short codes" sounds clandestine to me, but I'm the paranoid type. I think any kind of codes might freak people out in this day of terror and remote IED's.

Interesting case for sure.

[Right Wing Assault]

I think any kind of codes might freak people out in this day of terror and remote IED's

They aren't codes as in "secret codes" designed to hide a message. They are 5 or 6 digit number you can send text messages to. In response, you receive various kinds of information ranging from weather to political info. There is nothing hidden or secret about it. It is just a shortcut rather than a hidden message.