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.

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.

I'm a pacer. Anytime I'm standing with naught much else to do, such as on the phone (or outside smoking), I'm usually pacing. Or at least wandering aimlessly.

I had many vials of blood taken for tests and I'm supposed to get a colonoscopy ASAP. Colonoscopies have a wait list, which I don't quite understand. They've scheduled colonscopies until the end of time? I've already been through various rounds of talking to robots and talking to people. The last thing I was told was my doctor has to personally call them to convince them to give me an appointment.

I did mention that I hate the phone, didn't I?