IM & Me

Thing # 5 for Nebraska Learns 2.0 is to try instant messaging. Well, I already IM, and I have a Meebo account (even had a meebo widget at one point), so I thought I’d just ruminate about IM and texting for a while.

I have recently begun using instant messaging a bit more, for a few reasons. One because it is convenient to use at work (if nothing else I can check to see if someone is available to call.) Another is because I’ve made a few new friends that I enjoy IMing with, so I’ve been making an effort to turn it on at home too-though I forget to turn it on a lot. Or I forget to turn it back off (sorry people who IM me in the middle of the night!)

My deep dark secret:

I have avoided IM for a long time because I am a horrible typist. This surprises people when I tell them- because I am on the computer a lot. The truth is, I never took a real typing class in school – there were a few lessons here and there, but nothing consistent. As a result, I look at the keyboard when I type. I can type about 50 words per minute this way, but I *have* to look at the keyboard to go that fast. I am now rectifying this by working through an online typing program, but the going is slow.

Not looking at the screen while you IM makes it very difficult. While I am typing, the other person says something, and I don’t look up in time to see it. You can see the awkwardness here. As my touch typing skills improve I find I am enjoying IMing more.

Fairly new to me is texting. Texting is like IM, but on a phone. Unfortunately, I don’t have one of those cool phones with the keypad for entering letters, so I enter it using the numbers, which, for me, is painfully slow. I hope to upgrade to a phone with letters and an unlimited texting plan eventually.

I think texting has so many potential applications for libraries- I would love, for instance, to get a text message the day before my library books are due. (I can set up such a reminder myself using Google Calendar, but it’d be great if it were automatic.) It would also be nice to get a timely message that my holds are in, or if there’s an event at the library.

What I like best about texting and IM is the ease of it. In the case of IM, I can look and see who is online and start up a conversation. Or I can announce that I am online and ready to chat. With texting, I can send a message without worrying that I am interrupting – if the person is busy, they’ll look at or reply later, but if they’re not, they’ll usually get back right away. For someone as phone shy as me, it’s a great thing to have available.

Image: keyboard ~ blur by striatic