This page is the metaphorical sign I point at when people ask me about why I do instant messaging the way I do. Call it a FAQ, if you like. And in case the term isn't as pervasive as I think it is, from this point forward, I use "IM" as shorthand for "instant messenger" or "instant message" or "instant messaging"...- I'm only signed-on to IM services grudgingly. It's either (a) so I can be reached by co-workers on work-related matters, or (b) so I can have an IM "presence" to get people off my back about it. Don't IM me with something like "what's up?". Chances are I'm not in the mood for a casual chat.
- I'm not interested in signing-up for more IM accounts than I already have. I have accounts on AIM and Google Jabber, and that's more than enough. I have a hard enough time keeping track of all the accounts I have already. I'm trying to reduce the number of accounts and passwords I need to keep track of, and making more does not help that goal (try getting hacked sometime and you'll probably feel as I do). I also don't like being signed-into more than one IM service at the same time. Two is enough for my already thinly-spread attention to handle. I disabled Facebook's chat feature. Why would I need it when I already have two IM accounts I can be reached at?
- I generally don't like being interrupted. I already have an aversion to telephones, so IM is not something I'm crazy about either. Though one thing it has going for it over telephones is the fact that it's not as "in the now". In a phone conversation, there's pressure to keep talking, to avoid awkward silences and keep the discussion going (more so than in a live conversation, where there's visual stuff going on too). With an IM conversation, I can ignore someone for hours, and reply to them when I feel like it. Can you tell I'm an introvert? (Paradoxically, I actually prefer the phone for casual social interaction.)
- If there is a feature in an IM client for telling the world whether my terminal is idle or not, that's the first thing I disable, categorically. Nobody needs to know if I've moved my mouse or typed at my keyboard recently. I'd like to preserve what little privacy I have left.
- I usually set my status as "away", even when I'm not. This has the side benefit of deflecting most casual social-calls. But the main reason I do it is because my life does not revolve around my online status. I don't need to tell the world I went to lunch. I also don't need to keep telling them I'm at lunch at 5pm, because I forgot to change it back. Sometimes I walk away from my desk, only intending to be away for five minutes, but I wind-up being away much longer. I'm not going to explain that in a status update. If you IM me and I don't answer, chances are that I'm either not there, or I'm ignoring you. If it's urgent, pick up a phone.
My apologies if the tone of this is a bit snarky, but I got tired of explaining the above points every time someone had issues with the way I use IM.
Now get off my lawn. ;-) |
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