Instant Messaging -- friend or foe

[musicman]

Curious to know how many folks use IM (ostensibly for work purposes)...I'm in the minority at our shop because I don't. But after becoming such a slave to e-mail and seeing others fiendishly pounding away on IM, it seems like it could easily degenerate from diversion to distraction. Is it at all a useful tool for practical work purposes? Any insights on your experiences with it are appreciated.

 

[CapeCodder]

After having it years ago--and having in deteriorate with friends to the predictable "hey man what's up?" dopiness, I resisted getting it again for many years, just giving at my new job a few months ago. My solution is to only give out your IM information only to work people that need it--not to friends. With work people, there won't be any sort of unncessary distractions. With friends, it just becomes the worst time-waster in the world.

 

[SoSueMe]

We had it at one of the shops I work at. It was an internal messaging system only, linked to fellow employees in the shop.

It was ridiculous. It was designed (I think) to stop people from yelling "did you get my story?" or "page is done."

But it got to the point where, of course, the younger employees used it to gossip, joke, waste time. And, I thought it was weird that the person directly across from me (with just a little divider separating us) would message asking "where's the story on Joe Smith's firing?"

 

[bydesign77]

we used it at one place to communicate with the off site printing facility. better than calling after every page.

 

[BTExpress]

we used it at one place to communicate with the off site printing facility. better than calling after every page.

Seems like it would be the same to me. You spend 20 seconds sending a message that you sent a page vs. spending 20 seconds speaking a message that you sent a page.

Basically, IM is simply an excuse to be impolite. Unlike a simple phone conversation (which, in theory, should be the same as IM), IM gives one person the option of simply walking away (not answering) without being overtly rude and hanging up. That person can simply say, "Oh, I got called away from my desk" if asked. No need to even say goodbye.

 

[bydesign77]

we used it at one place to communicate with the off site printing facility. better than calling after every page.

Seems like it would be the same to me. You spend 20 seconds sending a message that you sent a page vs. spending 20 seconds speaking a message that you sent a page.

Basically, IM is simply an excuse to be impolite. Unlike a simple phone conversation (which, in theory, should be the same as IM), IM gives one person the option of simply walking away (not answering) without being overtly rude and hanging up. That person can simply say, "Oh, I got called away from my desk" if asked. No need to even say goodbye.

alright, let's time it...

sent 8A

nope, that took about a sec..

much faster and easier than dialing the number, waiting for an answer, "hey this is bydesign, sent 8A" Alright.

 

[murciélago]

IM is an important part of my life. So there -- I guess I'm in the minority.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I finally convinced our IT guys that I need it for the weekends I'm on the road, just to stay in contact with other people in the other media area. It helped me immensely.

I use it more at home, but if we're just talking business, it definitely has its place.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

IM is definitely helpful for writers who spend their workday in a different town than the one their paper's based in...It's a handy way to keep in touch with multiple people at once without spending all day with the phone in your ear.

Plus -- I'm not going to lie -- it makes it a lot easier to B.S. with my friends.

 

[jimnorden]

My shop just got the OK for IM about a month ago ... don't know how we lived without it.

 

[Pringle]

Used to be good for cybersex on AOL.com.

 

[write then drink]

I don't work at a shop, I work at a newspaper, but I use Instant Messenger occasionally for work -- on deadline, need a quick quote from a guy I cover who's on IM? sure, I've done it. a lot of people who don't always answer their cell phones do return IMs (and emails). use it more often for background, info, just keeping in touch with people I cover and have covered ...

also use it to keep in touch with the desk guys. never have to call, always just IM

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Used it to when I worked as a Web geek for a TV station. I was one of eight Web dorks nationwide that needed to communicate with each other daily. Much cheaper and quicker than phones.

 

[buckweaver]

Use our IM system with the 3-4 writers on staff who are comfortable with it. Simple to use, and quicker.

I also use text messaging with one of our writers, who's also a good friend that I text regularly anyway. He asks me for his newshole as he's driving back from a game, and I can shoot him back a reply.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

I don't work at a shop, I work at a newspaper, but I use Instant Messenger occasionally for work -- on deadline, need a quick quote from a guy I cover who's on IM?

Only problem with this is that you can't be 100 percent sure that it is the person you want the quote from. They could share their computer with someone or that person stepped away from their desk and someone else sat down and started chatting.

But yea, for the most part, it's not a bad tool.

 

[musicman]

Used to be good for cybersex on AOL.com.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

When we had e-mail problems at my last shop, I used the file-transfer function of AIM to send stories, photos, &c. Took away a lot of the nonsense involved with file attachments getting corrupted during the trip across the Internet --- StuffIt, send it, done with it.

 

[musicman]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I've decided to remain only in the e-mail realm because distraction is my enemy.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I've gotten so I spend little time logged on to AOL and just use the broadband connection. I like having friends; I just don't want to be that available and see it as kind of an imposition. If I want to communicate with somebody, I send an e-mail, which they can read when they feel like it.

 

[write then drink]

Only problem with this is that you can't be 100 percent sure that it is the person you want the quote from. They could share their computer with someone or that person stepped away from their desk and someone else sat down and started chatting.

But yea, for the most part, it's not a bad tool.

not a concern

you can tell from context who you're talking to