1. A method for text based messaging using user defined abbreviations, the method comprising: associating, at a first text messaging device, a message length reduction profile with a source text message; shortening the source text message in accordance with the message length reduction profile to obtain a shortened text message; transmitting to a second messaging device information that denotes a correspondence between the message length reduction profile and the shortened text message; and transmitting the shortened text message to the second text messaging device.