On messaging

Messaging: only as effective as the medium that one uses to convey it (and how they use that medium!) Use the wrong medium and you will send out the wrong message! Also, use the right medium, but incorrectly, and the message loses effectiveness as well!

"Instant" messaging

Also known as direct messaging, texting, SMS, instant messaging is technically well-named: one receives the message instantly at light speed by means of electricity! However, instant messaging has potential for deceleration of transmission via its feedback loop!

Upon instant messaging, a person will transmit a message to a recipient at the speed of light. However, the recipient must find the energy and time to reply, or transmit back. If the transmitter has a recipient who takes notoriously long to reply (on the order of days or weeks), the transmitter might as well have sent a snail mail message!

Asynchronous messaging

Thus, with the asynchronous nature of instant messaging, one must convey as much information as possible in the initial message. That initial message should not simply contain a greeting such as “hello” or “hi” or “can I ask you a question” or “how are you doing?”

Rather, the direct message should also contain the reason for communication, in addition to that greeting: “hi, do you know where I can find the designs for project #75172?”

Nohello.net

Nohello.net presents some poignant examples of why instant messaging resembles more of a snail mail letter than a phone call.

It would seem impolite for a person to talk for ten minutes on the telephone before letting the other person respond. However, on instant messaging services, stating your reason for communication would likely result in a faster and higher quality reply than simply a “hi” back.

“Don’t @ me”

In direct messaging (i.e. one-to-one communication), the transmitter has no need to “@” a person’s name when chatting with someone directly. The recipient will know that the transmitter wants to talk to the recipient and the recipient only!

Only in a group chat of three or more people does an @ serve a purpose!