Bottom line: If you do not have AIM etiquette, then I’m sorry, because you should no longer be allowed near a computer. But before you turn away with your head hung low, check out my list of the worst offenders. If you see any of yourself in the descriptions below, then I suggest you take this article as your chance at redemption in the world of instant messaging and clean up your irritating IM habits.
The Walk Aways
I have several friends that IM me. They IM me very excitedly, saying, “HEY.” Equally as excited to speak to them, I say, “HELLO.” They say, “What’s up?” and that’s when I know…here we go again! If someone IM’s me, I often think it’s because they have something important to say or at least a list of conversation topics inside of their little brains. But no, of course they don’t. Just the opposite seems to be true. They were bored and just decided to IM me. In fact, there are a select few that always IM me, and I know that the conversation is going to leave us feeling awkward and leave me annoyed that I just wasted 20 minutes of my life having a conversation with myself.
I know how annoying it is when people don’t respond right away. Whether it’s on AIM, via e-mail, or calling people back on the phone, I always make it a priority of mine to show people that I’m being courteous in getting back to them. But some people will IM me, have a very engaging conversation for two minutes, and then just COMPLETELY WALK AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. Okay, fine, that’s totally cool. You’re entitled a trip to the bathroom or a sojourn to the kitchen—but only if you let the other person know beforehand that you’ll “brb” (be right back)!
The One Worders
Then we have the people that IM you simply to have a lifeless conversation. They’ll ask me “what’s up,” and I’ll practically tell them my life story. And when I ask the same, they say “nothing much.” Well, obviously something must be up for you to have IMed me. I never say that, but I’m always tempted to, and maybe I should. These are the people that answer with one word or countless LOLs and HAHAHAHAs. How do I respond to a “hahaha”? Sure, I can say “hahaha” back, but then that leaves us at a loss for words and makes the whole situation uncomfortable for both us life forms, now sitting in IM limbo. Depending on the relationship I have with the person I’m speaking to, I’ll tell them to answer in more than one word. Sometimes this will cause the person to snap out of their one-word stupor and propel him or her to have a human conversation, but others will simply say, “Yeah, sorry, I’m kind of busy.” THEN WHY DID YOU IM ME!?
The OMG Attackers
When I sign on to my account, I already know for a fact who will be the people to IM me first. I often block them, momentarily, because I need a few moments to breathe. And then I feel bad and let them IM me. I talk to them, and then the conversation drifts off, or usually ends with me saying, “I’ll brb.” And oftentimes, if I don’t return promptly, they’ll keep talking to me…even though I’m not there… Sometimes, they frighten me. It’s kind of like KNOWING something is going to happen and WAITING for it to happen. But then when it doesn’t happen, you let your guard down and all of a sudden…BAM! They IM you.
The Overly Enthusiastic
I’m not going to lie: Sometimes I can be one of these, but at least I make a conscious effort to try not to be. These are the people who, after you say, “I’m going to the park today,” will respond by going off on a tangent about parks, the weather, and their childhood. Not only will they write a thousand words, but they’ll space it out, so you hear the instant messaging *ding* 50 times in the span of 10 seconds.
The Purposefully Illiterate
English is my strongest subject in school. It always has been, it is now, and it always will be. I always make it a point to spell correctly. Okay, it’s one thing if you’re not the best speller. I get it. But if you’re doing it because you’re lazy…UNACCEPTABLE. If you take the time to spell something the way it’s meant to be spelled, then you will make the world a better place. T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U.
If you’ve identified with any of the above profiles, please be considerate and fix your AIM issues.
:D
- Gum Goddess -
P.S. Not sure what type of IMer you should be? Try this one:
The Lovely Ones
I like these people! You can IM them and you KNOW they will respond. You can say “pickle” and they’ll say “juice.” They are, quite simply, the PERFECT people to hold a conversation with, and, because of this, they can IM me anytime.
Article originally posted on the VM Blog.
Soraya E. Navia, or “The Yayster” as people call her, is quite amazing. A soon-to-be sophomore in high school, she finds the time for theatre, dance, piano, photography, writing, counting how many licks it takes to get the center of a lollipop, and managing a social life. She carried a water bottle around before it was considered cool, and, on occasion, she tends to spontaneously combust. Soraya can’t imagine life before the invention of an iPod or digital camera. For being a fast talker, witty thinker, clumsy human, and smiley face, Soraya is pretty flipping awesome. Read her gum reviews, or send her an e-mail at soraya@vigilantmonkey.com, and she’ll love you forever…or not. Her favorite color is green. In her spare time, Soraya can be found redecorating her room, bursting out into song, attempting to fly, and often achieving that goal.