Seriously, I really struggle nowadays to actually “chat”, do you? With the introduction of Twitter, Facebook and the likes, I really find it difficult to find the motivation to actually participate and interact with these services. I’ve been wondering why I find it so hard and the more I think about it, it’s due to the fact that I just can’t chat anymore! It’s not that I’m lazy I could talk for Ireland it’s just that I think I may have outgrew it or something!
Nowadays, the only way I do actually enjoy “interacting online” is in a forum setting (of course SP is my fav) or occasionally via Skype (when I remember to log on) and of course email! I find it easy to communicate using these methods, perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’m older? I don’t really know to be honest. Can you outgrow chatting online? Is it something that’s more suited to the “younger” crowd these days? When you compare your routine nowadays to how you were back when you joined the web, just how different is it for you? Maybe it hasn’t changed at all? Thoughts are welcome!
My chatting days never really existed. The original ‘messengers’ (the most annoying of any of them, in my opinion) turned me off immediately upon using them. I understand my opinion is probably not the majority, just my preference. I do see a practical use for all of that stuff, but I always felt chained to my computer and annoyed with them. Forums, on the other hand, are a bit different and fit my needs a little better than the other options. I am a fan of the Twitter concept, though, and I see lots of potential for it in the future. It’s not really for me now, though. What do you think turned you off of the “chatting” recently?
If I need to discuss something with someone, chat is definetely the way to go, if I don’t care about immediacy of response then Facebook or e-mail is fine.
For work related matters it really helps to be able to chat in real time.
Twitter & facebook. Not my thing. Definitely. Never undestood them, especially twitter.
Now, I’ve chatted enough in my day, when lynx was king. Remember, going into realms, entering rooms, exploring “worlds”… ? Smt like SPF where each big forum was a realm. Things are not that different now, only nowadays the twists can make one social network go above another.
So, it’s probably about vogue. You’ll be caught up in no time in chatting when the next big thing emerges.
It wasn’t a recent thing for me - it’s just something that’s been happening over the last year or two - nothing really happened to turn me off I’m sort of leaning with the idea that I just outgrew it! I guess, I just didn’t want to be as involved with it I guess as I was before. At that time I was also favouring the email method more and more rather than IM-ing - I do enjoy chatting with friends and I still IM from time to time but not as I used to. I don’t know perhaps it’s just a natural evolution that we all go through, nothing really stays the same online does it? There will always be something new to try out, something new to move onto perhaps - but chatting in itself really is something that will always be about - even now I’m chatting here with you but perhaps it’s the environment that I choose to chat on that makes the difference to me - I don’t know if anyone else is the same out there but at one point signing into my IM programs was nearly always the first thing I did when I booted up my computer or laptop - nowadays it’s the last thing I think of, if I even do think of it! It’s a radical change IMO leaves me wondering what happened
I agree with your comment about Twitter, even FB etc - they do have relevant uses and are great for business for some people but business or not, I really struggle to keep up with them - I guess I just see it as being on this big chat network and that really isn’t my thing - same with FB etc
Hey tke!
I agree with you, you need to be able to diversify and I have no problem doing that, I actually prefer the voice chat for communicating anyway - I don’t have any issue with communication but perhaps the methods I used to favour are no longer what I prefer now and I’m guessing that’s just down to getting older :confused2
I think you may have it worse than me Mike
I doubt that I will Noonope, I’ve never been one for fads or following the crowd! When new things come out like Twitter, FB, Blogging etc - I usually don’t take to them until a few years later, if at all! Do you think that you’re chat format changed as you got older? Or did you just begin to favour one more over than another?
I was actually more open to IM style, back in the days, but lately I find it annoying.
Blogging is just the way reality shows influenced on-line interactions.
Twitter is one thing I find most disgusting: following a person w/o the possibility of interaction. It’s creepy to me, like a peeping Tom that you enjoy.
I think forums, emails are the way to go for me. If I want to chat with somebody, then Skype video/audio seems to me the perfect choice. There were times when SciFi movies depicted systems like Skype like an advance of our civilization, and I’m leaning towards that.
SMS and IMs, Twitter and FB are to me more voyeristic rather than a healthy honest interaction. That’s why I prefer to call, rather than SMS-ing, and I rather not twitter as I like to hear what others have to say, since the feedback is what makes us go on-line. Sitting alone in an upholstered white cell having cameras watching your every move means also that you have followers of your own!
Maybe it’s just the novelty of the new technologies that grabs our attention at first, but only lasts so long before the effect wears. I think our vocal cords are, by far, the most impressive communication technology we have to date and most people never grow tired of talking! Now, who sets that aside for weeks/months at a time? Mine are fired up and ready to go from sun-up to sun-down!
There are definitely different strata of users on twitter that use it in different ways, beyond it’s original purpose as a micro blogging platform.
The strata of people that you are referring to don’t really get it - latecomers to twitter, they’ve perhaps been drawn in by hype as it’s spilled over into the mainstream media, and are using it as another unidirectional channel to be broadcasted to in the same way they soak up nonsense and tittle tattle from soaps, tabloids, daytime radio and chat shows. They don’t contribute to the twitter community other than to raise the noise floor with what they had for lunch, and sooner or later end up following Steven Fry and get bored senseless, proclaim they don’t get it and then leave
The more experienced users use it as a casual public conversational medium that doesn’t need real-time interaction or direct connection like chat does, and where they have a loose network of like minded individuals with common interests, so the tweets they receive are useful and they can get involved in conversation.
Another hidden bonus of twitter is for consumer complaints. I’ve found that for almost any big business, the responsiveness you get from contacting them via twitter is 100x times better and quicker than if you go through traditional channels. Probably because they’ve got young fresh staff on their social media teams that haven’t been worn down to the level of cynicism and obtuseness that years of abuse have done to the phone and email staff, but also because any conversation is for a large part public and visible.
Technology is really fast, Facebook and Twitter enjoyed the limelight right now. To me it’s very beneficial and I like chatting online especially for business communication and other stuff.
I actually find Twitter to be quite good. It can be an immensely good resource and I’d say that 90% of my usage is centered around my interest for design. I’ve been using Twitter for a few months now and must say that I love it by and large.
With that said, I never managed to get into Facebook. I don’t know why, I just haven’t a clue what to do with it. Not my cup of tea, but then again, I often wonder whether it’s not inevitable that I do at least superficially get into it because more and more clients ask for Facebook features, a service I’m extremely reluctant to provide. So far, I’ve gotten away with it and only had to do very minor tweaks of existing Facebook pages. I don’t know. Haven’t really made up my mind on whether it’s dumb or the right thing to do to simply ignore a venture that relates to my current profession.
As for chatting…I’ve never been a chatter. I find small talk a difficult thing to do with people I don’t really know well. I love to be silly and “chatty” with people I am close to, but other than that, no. Email is better, or Skype and Instant Messengers. Anything where you have the illusion of a private environment is the more comfortable zone for me, so I’m with Hazel on that one.
Whether it’s an age thing…not too sure about that. The most avid and popular twitterers are a lot older than you or I, I noticed.
For me,most of the work done via emails,I also miss chatting.Basically life is so busy to takeout the significant time for it.But if you give me an option between chatting or email,I would go for chat.Other than that forums posts are also a good way of communication but this is one sided activity until & unless other person respond.
I do agree.
I remember when Yahoo Chat came up. That in-fact taught what chatting was, at-least to me.
But with the advent of various social networking sites. its gone or you can say very rare.
I seriously misses my yahoo chatting days.Now a days I have stopped using yahoo messenger.I do chat on facebook with friends sometimes.But its far different then chat messengers.
The big thing was MSN and ICQ messenger when I was in college. Now it’s more towards skype and VoIP, and many use Skype in a professional/business sense. I know many who still use MSN, but it’s all business for me, ICQ has certainly died down.
I used to use ICQ for several hours and chat to god-knows-who about world affairs. It was far easier to find people on ICQ than it is now.
I always struggle with online chats… except for this forum and an occasional facebook message, I don’t do chat at all.
I use e-mail to communicate. From time to time, maybe skype or msn. It is nice if you have to solve something quickly and it is fun but I simply don’t have the time. I envy those people that have the time to do everything. No matter how I try or I organize myself, I always need more hours. So chatting is not a priority in my life.
Twitter is something that amazes me. I simply don’t get it. But I do have an account there and I tweet like once per semester or so
Thanks for your feedback!
