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AIM: Etiquette Statistics show that only about 60% of Americans use the Internet. And of those 60%, only 40% of them use a program called AOL Instant Messenger. I say these stats are bunk! From my perspective, 100% of Americans use Instant Messenger, here on out referred to as AIM.
History
I first downloaded this AIM program back in 1997, I believe. It was a handy way to talk to people online. At that time, I only had about 5 buddies, most of them friends from church youth group. My first screen name was "ian31", the 31 coming from Mike Piazza's jersey number. Piazza was traded the next spring, so in June, I changed to "ian613." June 13 was the day I received Eagle Scout, so it has some significance, other than just being Camille's birthday. Last spring, I switched to my current screen name after a 4 year stint with ian613.
Okay, time for some rules!
General Rules AIM should not be your reason for existence, or the only way you communicate with people. Be a human being and interact with those around you.
Don't be that guy who doesn't go idle. It's inconsiderate. And if you're that guy who doesn't go idle AND never puts up an away message, very inconsiderate. If you think it's hilarious, no one else is laughing.
Buddy icons should not cause epilepsy. (submitted by Rob)
Changing Screen Names If you change screen names, it is YOUR responsibility to personally IM everyone on your buddy list to let them know. Those people should not have to take the time and add your name manually just because you made an announcement in your profile.
Note the screenshot at right. See the circled icon? This is why it's easier when YOU instant-message ME.
Some people have a chronic illness for changing their screen name. (Fattysauce? where have you gone?) Pick something cool. Jen has a few choice words to say on this subject...read on.
On that note, do NOT pick stupid screen names. Then you will not have to go through the irritating process of changing your name all the time. Changing your SN means more work for you and a hassle for everyone else too. Pick something quality and classic, and KEEP IT. Don't put stupid numbers like 19 (because, and I want to say obviously but apparently it isn't to some people, you will only be 19 for 365 days). Do not put years like '01. Graduating is only cool when you are a senior. For some strange reason, it looses its excitement when you are a junior in college. And no matter what, NEVER EVER refer to a girlfriend or boyfriend in your SN. Anniversary dates, initials and special codes and numbers are always unacceptable. These are stupid in the first place, and even worse when used on IM. (submitted by Jen)
Typing Use colors that are easy on the eyes. Fuchsia-on-indigo is NOT easy on the eye, as Camille shows us. When I brought this to her attention, she was oblivious, and has since changed to easier colors. I used to highlight her entire away message (usually 6+ lines) so I could read it in black and white, rather than these colors, lowering the strain on my eyes. (submitted by Hatter)
If your preferences aren't set to where everyone else can see you type, set it. It's a lot easier that way.
Complete thoughts on one line. Using multiple entries for the same idea is irritating.
IMing someone when they have an away message up as soon as they go un-idle is known as “Danning.” This comes from when Dan IMed at work constantly, and would often IM me as soon as I got back from class, before I had a chance to remove the away message.
Rob defines Danning as: "An instantaneous attack upon you when coming away from idleness that can cause you to flip backwards out of your chair."
Capitalization is not cool.
Punctuation is not necessary. (submitted by Heather)
Excessive punctuation use (!!!!!, ????) should be used if you're a 14 year old teenage girl.
AOL came out a version of AIM that automatically showed the other user typing at the bottom of the window. The newest version that everyone uses (5.1.3x) makes this an option that you set in the Preferences. Some people have no idea that their buddy can't see them typing, so please, everyone turn this option on. It makes things easier, and it avoids problems like this:
My female buddy here was in the process of typing a horridly mean message to me when I offered to have them over. Had she known I was typing, it would have been easier, but certainly not as hilarious.
Saving AIM Conversations This should be done in the cases where- 1. A buddy has typed a humorous message 2. A conversation was memorable 3. Legal purposes (including but not limited to divorce proceedings, Real League negotions)
I'll throw in some samples of conversations I've saved. They're fairly witty lines, and they're interjected throughout this article.
If you fell for this back in March, you're an idiot. Dear AIM users, Because of our overloading of our servers, we are being forced to extract our non-active AIM users. Because this is a free service, AOL has exceeded the budget for the AIM service. We are asking that you send this exact message to 20 other AIM users to ensure us that you're an active AIM user. Our system tracking devise will pick up this message to keep you on our active list. You have 72 hours to complete this task or your service will be cancelled immediately. Starting April 9, 2003, we will be charging a small fee for registering of a screen name for AIM. Thank you for your time and for using AOL or AIM.
Sounds The standard IM sounds are pretty played. Choose new ones, or just go without.
Sign-on and sign-off sounds are more important. I stick with the standard door shut sound, and when someone signs on, the WAV file is Eric Anton saying, “Hey, he's having fun.”
The vital sound is when first message is received, when a new IM window pops up. I like having this because if I'm in another room, or on my bed, I can hear if someone wants to chat.
If you haven't tried AIM Talk, where you use the computer microphone, you're missing out. Due to firewall issues, I can no longer do this. This is how Geoff was first introduced to Rob.
Away Messages If you use the default away message, you're just an idiot.
Proper away messages should let others know what you are doing, an inner thought, or maybe song lyrics.
The purpose of an away message is to show that you are "away." If you are one of those people who only message others when their away message is up, you're not understanding the purpose of the program.
One word away messages (class, study, out, elsewhere) are not good enough. This is almost an art! Remember, some people read away messages for hours on end. Give them something to smile about. (submitted by Sheena)
If you save away messages, have a good rotation. The same away message every time you leave gets old.
Do not express anger via your away message. AIM is never a substitution for a proper conversation. (submitted by Heather)
On the flipside, don't pour your heart out in your away message. Just tell me where you're at already! That's all I want to know. (submitted by Becky)
Don't go into excessive detail in your away message. If I have to scroll to read the whole thing, it's probably too long. (submitted by Meredith)
Your away message should NEVER contain the phrase "call the cell." Why? Well, who really calls your cell to talk about what would have been an IM conversation? For example, if Ian had "call the cell" in his away message, I don't need to immediately call and waste his minutes to talk about fantasy baseball trade proposals. That can wait until he gets back. One day I'm going to call everyone's cell and ask them stupid IM questions. (submitted by Rob)
Just because an away message is up does not mean that person is unavailable for other activities. If it's important, than call their freaking cell! Don't assume that someone's busy just because they've been at the library, and idle for 4 hours, 14 minutes. (submitted by Jen)
Profile
If you have nothing in your profile, you're also an idiot.
Your profile should have no more than one movie quote.
Tracking who looks at your profile with IMChaos List is NOT a sign of coolness. Plus, it's not entirely accurate, it only tracks who clicks on the link, not who checks your away message.
I am on a lot of people's buddy lists merely so they can check my witty away messages, or access The Voorn Project. This really doesn't bother me, since my life is fairly public thanks to the website. However, if you're one of those who can only be contacted by others on your buddy list, you're missing out on making a lot of new friends.
Buddy List Management
You do know you can delete the “co-workers” group that no one uses, right? I'm astounded at the number of people who have that as an empty group.
You should really have more than one category, especially if you have more than 10 buddies on your list.
Hierarchy of members in a group is very important. Here is mine:
So that's all I got. Remember, AIM can be a very useful tool. It's my primary method of communication with my best friends down at UT. It serves its purpose. But it is not to be abused, nor substituted when normal human contact is available.
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The Voorn Project |
Right on!
