So, don't let me rain on your parade here, but there seem to be a few glaring flaws here. First, this option requires a data connection to work, and while this isn't a concern in most cities, AT&T seems just shitty enough in Anchorage that it would be an issue.

Second, a chat client that is always on with push notifications seems like it would run down your battery in an instant. At least similar apps seem to do as much to my iPhone, and I can only imagine a setup like you're talking about would be even worse. Text messaging seems to have very little impact on battery life.

Thirdly, we have plenty of ways to update statuses. I mean, hello Facebook. Twitter is even an answer to your testing problem, because you can direct message, enable push notifications, etc. Or, um, email? I mean, this hardly seems like a problem to be solved.

Lastly, I've been thinking about your objection to texting and it doesn't quite hold water with me. I understand the ridiculousness of charging for something that costs a company nothing, but this has been a viable business plan for years. Although the infrastructure wasn't originally built for texts, the fact that it can now be used for it means that the cost you pay to text is covering those original startup costs (and ongoing maintenance costs), regardless of how much it really costs the company to provide that service. A toll on a private road, for instance, is fair because it pays for the original investment and the continued upkeep, even though it doesn't cost the operator any more to have more cars on that road.