AIM and you: What's your progression?

I remember being 14 and visiting my sister at college. She had a computer and the Internet and this cool, little messaging system where she could interact with all her friends. I thought this was the coolest program, and when I went home, I downloaded AIM, created a witty (no so much) screenname, and began typing away.

I used to be attached to instant messenger. When I lived at home during high school and on college breaks, it took a bad connection or a power outage to keep me offline; even an away message was a necessity. I actually believed, at least for a little while, that the people in my life deserved to know where I was and what I was doing at every moment of the day. And AIM was my way to provide them that wonderful service.

At one time, I had more than 1,300 away messages, mostly of song lyrics and daily schedules for college, where I'd be gone and not able to check the computer for 18 hours. If I was in my room, I was online. This one time, at an auction for my radio station, my ex-girlfriend paid $3 -- yeah, that much -- for an hour of my time. She had two ideas for what she wanted to have me do: Go to the gym and work out or sit in front of my computer, staring at the log-in screen.

But now I find myself signing on and forgetting about it. My friends and I talk over the phone or through text messages and e-mail more and instant messenger less. And when I'm not home, the computer is shut down to save money. I now know no one really cares what I'm doing and where I'm doing it. I've got 60 people left on my buddy list, and I probably have spoken to 10 of them online in the last three or four months. And when I do speak with them, generally, I forget about the conversation for an hour or so, then feel like a jerk for it.

Instant messenger just isn't that big a deal for me anymore, and I wonder if it's something most everyone -- especially in my age group -- goes through, either because of age, work and family situation or just boredom of the medium. It surprises me, actually, because I remember telling my friends, "Oh, we'll never lose touch because we'll always have AIM." Well, we have it, but we don't use it quite as much. I can't recall the last time I brought up my list to see if someone was there. It's usually just a background on everything else I've got running on the computer.

Maybe I need to stop thinking about this so much and think about the more important things in my life -- like my tomato soup.

What about you?

 

yes

 

BYH and I use IM to discuss our cats' exploits. We have some serious issues. . .

 

I used to be on AIM quite a bit, actually. Ever since I got my current gig, I've been on there much less. Partly because the online RPG I used to play became a source of too much high blood pressure and not nearly as much fun. Partly because I just became too busy to do much of anything. Partly because there were people on my buddy list I just didn't feel like "talking" to.

I still refuse to do text messaging. The phone plan I'm on charges for every text message sent or received. And don't tell me to get another one: I'm only paying $18.75 a month for my phone because I'm on a family plan.

Then again, I don't much like using the phone when I can e-mail.

 

Mike, that's some fucked up shit right there.

 

The first time I ever used any IM program it was when we had CompuServe as our ISP at home. The computer was kept in my room at the time, and basically any free time I had was spent online talking to a shitload of people.

I downloaded MSN and AIM, but hardly ever used the latter. A few years later, all I use now is AIM and hardly ever log onto MSN.

When I moved back to my current paper, I downloaded AIM onto the computer and would be logged on with it running, but I wouldn't be talking to anyone. I would have an away message up, saying I was "busy" at work and couldn't talk or whatever. But when I wasn't busy, you can bet your sweet as I was on AIM talking to people.

Now I don't use any IM service, although I have both downloaded on the computer. I can't even remember the last time I logged into AIM or MSN, for that matter.

 

I used to use it a ton in college, and then somewhat less in grad school. Now I still use it, but not as frequently, and the amount of people I talk to on it has decreased dramatically.

Back then, it seemed so necessary, but now...eh.

 

Still being in college, I use it a lot. It'll be interesting to see how much I'll use it once I graduate. I'm guessing I'll still use it a decent amount to keep in touch with my friends from school who will be scattered around the country.

 

Like anyone else, I guess. I say "honey I'd really like to do ATM tonight" and then my wife says "ewww! that's disgusting!" So then I go online to craigslist.org and search the classifieds and.....

oh. aIm. Never mind.

Casey is kicking up a storm in the litter box b/c their food dish is getting low--not empty, mind you, just low. I'll go out and get more food when my wife gets home, dammit!

 

Consider the source

 

I didn't fully utilize AIM until after I graduated from college ... and had astronomical phone bills my first three months out of school, as many of my friends and I had scattered across the country three years before cell phones began to become the rage. It was much more economically sound to pay a few bucks a month for 'net access than it was to pay Ma Bell, even if night rates were cheaper.

A few years later, I still use AIM, though not as much as I use the cell phone for text messaging and talking to friends.

 

Diabeetus and I use aim to discuss Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Other than that, I don't use it much at all. The occasional message will pop up from a friend and we'll talk, but otherwise, I don't send out too many messages.

Yahoo on the other hand... I use my yahoo messenger a lot more, but again, just to talk to one person, but it's on a regular basis.