The Death of Instant Messaging

Jackie Mason | November 8, 2007
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Kelly Lee | November 8, 2007
I chat all the time on Yahoo. I used to be on most the big programs, but it gets really annoying having them all open at the same time. And trillian didn't allow me all the cool stuff each program had to give me.

But yeah, I'm online whenever I'm at home, and I know people all around the world (if you count Canada and Croatia as all-around) through that game I play, which is why most people contact me on yahoo about.

Matthew Preston | November 8, 2007
Working for a state university and servicing student computers, I can confirm that this age group still chats. A lot in fact. A lot. A LOT. It's almost a pandemic with these kids. Just about every system I look at automatically starts up AIM, Yahoo, and MySpace chat programs. A good percentage of them also auto-login, so before I can even react there are 2 or 3 chat windows open with "s'up?!" type messages.

I stopped IMing a long time ago. College was definitely the prime for me and I think it's culturally that way on most college campuses. Something else I grew out of that it is rampant around here: file sharing. But that's a whole different topic!

Jackie Mason | November 8, 2007
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Jacob Martin | November 9, 2007
most of the time im on the comuter if not all the time im on AIM talking to random ppl from my school

Jackie Mason | November 10, 2007
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Jacob Martin | November 10, 2007
actually 8th grade ya im young arent I?

Jackie Mason | November 11, 2007
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Erik Bates | November 11, 2007
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Lori Lancaster | November 11, 2007
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Scott Hardie | November 11, 2007
AIM and IRC are a necessity at my job, where several coworkers live in other states and you don't want to be on the phone with them every twenty minutes. It's also great for passing URLs back and forth, since we work in the web business and go through a lot of them. Plus I'm lazy, so I can IM someone to ask if they are free to talk before I walk across the building to see them. We have a private IRC channel that supposedly exists for developers to ask each other technical questions like an electronic bullpen, but lately it's just the flash guy, the server guy, and me the manager, so "offtopic" has become the topic.

I don't like chitchatting on AIM, at work or otherwise; no offense to the few friends who still contact me that way when I do sign on. It was great when I was unemployed, but it's just too time-consuming now. I'm at the computer to get something done, not goof off. :-\

Jackie Mason | November 11, 2007
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Scott Hardie | November 11, 2007
Agreed. I suppose I could just have the conversation over IM instead of walking, but it's rare I'm that lazy. Another good workplace use: Brief confidential conversations between manager and employee or with human resources that you don't want other staff to overhear.

Kelly Lee | November 12, 2007
You want lazy! I used to IM people that were sitting right next to me on a regular basis.

Jacob Martin | November 14, 2007
lol i do that all of the time. Usually as a joke but i still do it (to my brother at least)