call it rom com brainwashing or such.

Why would it even have to be related to rom coms? Sometimes you just look at the people in tour past, and you miss some of them. Of course, maybe I'm brainwashed and I don't know it, but I periodically reach out to people in my past, both male and female. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn't, but it's not usually related to anything romantic.

Each of the methods of communication has its place, including video chatting. Video chat really puts my father at peace, and he doesn't have to talk to me as much if we do it over video, *and* he will initiate it (he never calls or emails or texts). My sister and I can also video chat for an hour and a half easy. It's a simple way to bring us into the other person's day to day life more closely. We walk each other around our apartments, and make phone calls and stuff.

Some people my entire communication is chat behind a Scrabble game, some people it's email, some it's texting, some people it's IM by appointment during a TV show. Everybody's different.

I stopped using IM (does anyone IM anymore?) at least 7 or 8 years ago. It was too overwhelming to log in and have 6 different people immediately start a conversation

This. So much this.

Last night I dreamed I visited Jilli in her mansion/castle!

Was is called Manderley?! That sounds like a fun dream!

I was trying to think of a Manderlay joke, too!

I use gchat all the time with Tom (through the work day) and my friend Doug at home. Occasionally I will gchat with other folks, but that's pretty rare. Gchat is the same as IM, right?

Gchat is the same as IM, right?

I think so, but I don't know. It's all "chat" to me.

I used to use IM all the time around 1999.

Now, I absolutely can't stand it. I had a few acquaintances who would hit me up all the time and I don't like being that available. it stresses me out.

I don't mind IM. We use it at work, but it is usually a more efficient way to ask a quick question or see if someone is available to discuss a more indepth issue.

For personal chat, I don't use it a lot, but I don't detest it either. I'm more apt to text someone though.

The thing I like best about electronic communication in general is that I can treat it like a bulletin board - you can contact me when it's convenient for you and effectively leave me a note which I will notice eventually and get back to you. That works great for voicemail, e-mail, livejournal/dreamwidth, Facebook, probably more. It's also how I use IM, because I am prone to wandering off and forgetting I have it open, which is not how most people seem to want to use it, so that leads to friction.

Haven't really tried video chatting because I have big not-wanting-to-be-seen issues. I have never gotten used to being able to do something else while I'm on the phone, either - if I'm making phone calls I'm generally parked somewhere even though all my phones are cordless or wireless.

I have never gotten used to being able to do something else while I'm on the phone, either

Oh, I am big about this. I'm not going to take you with me to the toilet, or anything, but be prepared for a lot of other slices of my life. Even video. My father wanted to know why everything kept shifting during last night's call. Because I'm wandering around my apartment looking for the battery charger for my SLR. But I'm still listening! No worries.

My sister and I are very prone to this--we'll watch TV or surf the web or do other things quite obviously while video chatting with each other. It's more like we were in the room together than anything else.

Most of the texting and phone calling I do is work related, and thus very concise. When it's stuff with friends, it's still typically very concise, for the purpose of making plans. I'm fine with most people face to face. And there's a very tiny handful of people (like my mom) who get to call and talk as long as they want, but thankfully none of them abuse the privilege.

I do send pictures and stories of animal cuteness when I'm pet sitting, such as for K&ND, but that's just the decent thing to do.

It makes a lot of sense, and it's what my sister does. I actually am trying to at least walk around while I'm on the phone but it just feels weird. All those years of sitting on the step-stool in the kitchen, huddled next to the wall-mounted phone when I was young have marked me.