Plus, I think because IM is more casual, and there's generally no record kept, it's better for asking stuff like "what's X's phone number" I hate sending email for that crap. But email is better for creating a record and covering your ass.

My brother uses IM at work a lot but he almost always has his status set to red (away, I guess), but he puts a message in there like "working on a project; email requests" so it looks like he's still present. I mean, I think he usually is there working on stuff. He just hates to be bothered when he's in the middle of stuff.

Our email does not pop up on screen, so lots of email get ignored.

IM's a good place to have fast conversations, and to nail someone down to answering you right away. Except the person I most need to talk to this morning has her "do not disturb" blinds up. Figures.

It's the same sort of "stopping immediately to address things" as the phone, except I get to keep a text record of it on my computer, and it's free.

Which has just reminded me, I just thought of another person who's ignored my most recent emails and I should try and IM stalk before calling.

And doesn't clog up your inbox.

Comcast guy just drilled two holes in the kitchen wall. I never really thought about what it would take to get the cable inside. Not pretty. Ugh.

I don't IM. It always freaks me out when a chat window opens in GMail or FaceBook.

Yeah, I'm a ruthless deleter. I clean out my inbox at a minimum of once a day and the only thing in there is about a dozen emails that serve as reminders of things outstanding.

If I didn't keep emails I would have been nailed on several things due to what people say they were never told about or never responded to.

I save everything, which is why the new policy of auto-deleting messages after 120 days—unless they are moved into Managed Folders archives—makes me twitchy.

I like to keep all e-mails that aren't total chaff. Having a record of conversations is very useful.