Why I Hate Instant Messaging

David Weinberger asks for help on his Thursday night speech — so here goes. I know a lot of people who hate to give speeches and always like to help them out.

I hate instant messaging. It's the quintessence of all the bad things about email and none of the good things. The first reason I hate it, is the reason other people love it — it's so in your face.

It's the antithesis of email in terms of NOT being time-released. Email is like a little pill I make and send off to be released when it's convenient to the receiver. Email is the reason I can get a lot done in a short time with lots of time-flexibility. If I need to ask someone a question and it's my usual insomniac 4:00am, I'm sure not going to use IM, I'm going to send an email to be opened and answered at someone's leisure.

I remember when IM started, a friend was trying to tell me how great it was. "I'll even know when you're online," he said. I said, "I don't want you knowing when I'm online. I'm working when I'm online, that's the least appropriate time to interrupt me." I think email is the thinking man's IM. Email lets you think before you talk. Big difference.

I also think it's generational. I think the younger you are, the more you like IM and getting interrupted. As you can imagine, I hate people who answer their cell phones during meals too.

Is there a correlation with IM, staying up late, talking dirty and sex? I bet there is. I'm so anti-IM, I've missed that angle completely. Darn.

I hear Tom and Jeneane have weighed in on the subject and I'm sure it's brilliant stuff, so I'm off to read it.