Instant Messaging
Do you MSN? ICQ? QQ?
I have been using ICQ for more than 5 years, and start to use MSN Messenger since last year. Surprisingly, my ICQ friends also migrate to MSN and there are so many people using MSN now. Just a rough count, I have 30 ICQ contact but 188 MSN contact.
It is so convenient to use IM tool to connect to my friends and colleagues. It is even cost effective if you need to communicate to your overseas friends or overseas colleagues.
Yet, it is also troublesome. To me, IM tool is kind of distracting especially when I am in my work. People using IM tool expect you reply quickly. Therefore I need to distract from my work and reply even though I am focusing on critical tasks.
Furthermore, IM is one of the tool facilitating gossip. I trust the amount of gossip and number of colleagues using IM is positive related.
Same motto: “there is no right or wrong with IM as communication tool, it is just how do you use it in your daily life. How do you control yourself in leveraging the tool's benefits without over-usage.
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2 comments:
I agree that IM can be very useful, but also very distracting. I care more about concentrating in my work than getting immediate reply from friends or colleagues, hence, I never use IM. In my field, quite sure that I am the exception.
Mobile phone is the same, a very useful tool. However, I also see people "abusing" this convenience. Ringing loud, talking loud scolding or laughing loud can always be seen in public places. It is so disturbing that Japanese government does not allow people to use mobile phone in train. The first developed country to do so? Perhaps yes.
Self-discipline is the key, but how many of us can do that?
also do not forget the time spent on these IMs - a conversation could then be taken into small pieces, thus making a short conversation time consuming ... I noticed that if I don't turn on my computer at night then I sleep much earlier.
Now that you've mentioned it - I used to unplug my internet connection when I have to study at home.
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