Over the last few days, we've been talking about pros and cons of the phone. As it turns out, I'm one of three people left in America who likes the damn thing. So let me burnish my contrarian credentials by saying this: I hate instant message. Loathe it. It's the worst of both worlds. It's writing without the time for reflective composition, and conversing without the ability to read the other person's physical and vocal cues. Sending a crucial IM when the other person has left their desk, then hanging there in limbo while you wait for an answer? Awful. Getting into a heated conversation where you're both typing furiously and no one can finish a full thought before the other one sends another sentence? Unpleasant. Having to put a garish emoticon next to dry humor so you don't sound like a jerk? Lame. IM is good for sending YouTube links and telling friends sentence long pieces of information. It's like text messaging, but at your desk. As a replacement for actually talking on the phone, though? Ugh.(Image used under a Creative Commons license from Frank.) AGAINST IMS.
Over the last few days, we've been talking about pros and cons of the phone. As it turns out, I'm one of three people left in America who likes the damn thing. So let me burnish my contrarian credentials by saying this: I hate instant message. Loathe it. It's the worst of both worlds. It's writing without the time for reflective composition, and conversing without the ability to read the other person's physical and vocal cues. Sending a crucial IM when the other person has left their desk, then hanging there in limbo while you wait for an answer? Awful. Getting into a heated conversation where you're both typing furiously and no one can finish a full thought before the other one sends another sentence? Unpleasant. Having to put a garish emoticon next to dry humor so you don't sound like a jerk? Lame. IM is good for sending YouTube links and telling friends sentence long pieces of information. It's like text messaging, but at your desk. As a replacement for actually talking on the phone, though? Ugh.(Image used under a Creative Commons license from Frank.) 
