I've only recently started to avail of Facebook's instant messaging application. I found myself having a laugh with the delightful Miss E of Vancouver town as recently as late last night. It was nearly bedtime for me - but she was fresh as a daisy for sure.
I also had a brief interchange last night with Beowulf (we talked dogs and Ikea furniture) and tonight I've been discussing lipstick and tattoos with Mr Damien Mulley.
So tell me this, experienced peeps...
What is the polite way to break off a real time exchange, bearing in mind that I'm only supposed to be on the computer a few minutes at a time (hah!) as I have dishes to wash, old ladies to attend to, cakes to bake, books to read and husbands to smile at invitingly?
9 comments:
I usually tell the truth: I've things to do. However, I do drop the hint before the end... as in 'I'm going to have to go soon, but tell me....' or the like.
It's not rude to have a life other than on line ;-)
Frank is right, honesty is the best policy.
Something along the lines of, "I have to go, the police are at the door, again.".
Whatever comes to hand.
Yeah, honestly I don't even get offended when someone just stops responding but it is more polite to say "I'm going to smile invitingly at my husband now so bye"
Instant message is fun but the conversation gets weirdly disjointed after a while and is best reserved for lighthearted silliness, good old fashioned rick rolls and very important links like this useful exercise routine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJer8fcochE&feature=related
Laterz
delightfulmissE
Well, it depends. I know that I have at least one Messaging program open for ~10 hours per day, usually from work.
It's expected, at least within my social group, that the communication will be at least partially asynchronous -- exchange a few thoughts, do your dishes, exchange a few more, then pick up your book, and so on.
No sign off required. The nature of Facebook chat is such that you can assume the conversation, having reached a natural break, will resume at a later date.
This is my excuse for closing Facebook and forgetting I was chatting to someone therein.
Ah, now, you see - this is the thing I detest about IM. I usually leave myself signed out, or at least set my status to invisible on things like Skype, Gmail and Facebook. Not because I don't like chatting to friends on them, but because I like to be in control of the situation, i.e set up a time that suits to talk, and not have to manage several conversations all at once, while at the same time trying to escape to make the dinner. I am really, really rubbish at saying I've got to leave.
And so I'm now an isolated hermit...
Great tips. I'll IM with confidence fron now on.
Surely you just say, "I'm finished."
"Oops, gotta run. BBL," is my chosen exit.
That said, I don't use it much, because I had an experience with Yahoo chat, in which whenever I signed on, there would be somebody IMing me. AS SOON as I logged onto my computer.
Eventually, I deleted the entire account and started over with a different user name, so that some sort of button would not light up for these folks
I get all hyper trying to keep up.
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