Re:Text Message (Score 1)

The system doesn't fall apart as much as become a system with larger latencies. Each party just leaves voicemails instead of communicating directly with the peer. All you have with his modified technique is a system (communication pathway) with a relatively large delay between exchanges of information. With a typical phone call, when you establish a direct connection, information is likely to be exchanged with a much shorter delay (and probably shorter overall information exchange period).

If he is incapable of precise expression, in real-time, of the information he wishes to share/acquire (as most people are), the period required to transfer the information may actually be shorter with his modified technique. Left to think about what he wants to say (between voice mails) he may be using a system that is more effective/efficient than a connection-based real-time one since the information exchange is not likely to contain as much padding (dead air, idle chit-chat, etc.). An important component ignored here is the overhead involved in establishing connection to the voicemail system and time required to get/leave the messages.