I'm out of the IM crowd

HEAR IT: Windows media

I believe use of IM, or Instant Messaging, depends on your generation. If you recognize the song, "I'm In With the In Crowd" by Dobie Gray, you're probably out with the IM crowd. That's OK, I'm out too.

If you like to use popular music as a generational marker, let's look at Woodstock. If you remember Woodstock from 1969, you don't like IM. If you hear "Woodstock" and wonder if it's the one from 1969 or 1999, you may use IM even if you prefer e-mail. If you think Britney Spears is an entertainer rather than an over-hyped marketing creation, you prefer IM over e-mail. Unless you're a young person with good taste.

Speaking of young people, my 15 year old daughter can juggle 10 to 12 IM sessions at once. I recently heard a marketing VP from a corporate IM vendor speak, and he said five to six conversations are all that their users can handle. Does that mean teenage girls are twice as smart as most corporate executives? That's another story for another time.

But why do kids like IM rather than the phone or e-mail? Emoticons clue teens into the intent of the sometimes clumsy statements they read and type. Plus, a dozen ongoing conversations make real life, where you're limited to one or two, seem pretty dull and boring.

Let's not forget the IM names. These can be more creative than CB handles, another generational marker good buddy. You can change your IM handle to match your mood. If you do that with e-mail, your messages won't get through the spam filters because you'll no longer be in the recipient's white list.

Once again, the Internet standards groups failed us. They should have defined an Instant Messaging Protocol, which we could call IMP. Therefore, users of IMP would be called IMPs. If you're a hip hop fan, you could use the Personal Instant Messaging Protocol, or PIMP.

Now that we've defined the generational markers for IM and trashed some pop culture mainstays, the question becomes whether those of us who prefer e-mail should become IMPs. I say no.

If we do, spam will invade IM, and we'll never be able to separate real conversations from spam messages like Viagra, the number 4 and the letter u. Viagra 4 u eh means the drugs come from Canada. But e-mail filters work better than IM filters will, so let's stick with e-mail.

With teens, if you don't respond to IM, you don't exist - the modern version of out of sight, out of mind. When a teen sends an invitation to talk and no one answers, that window slams shut and a new window, with a new friend, opens.

Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world

• Email
• Print
• Share
  • Slashdot
  • Digg
  • Stumble
  • Reddit
  • Newsvine