Would This Annoy You? re: Texting

[Ceallach]

I dislike it when people disappear.   I also dislike it when I SMS and they don't reply at all (unless they didn't get it - and I assume they haven't got it yet if they don't respond).   I'll say to DH "Did you get my text?" and he'll say yes.  "Why didn't you reply?"  and he'll say he didn't think it needed one.  But to me, it needs acknowledging, otherwise I assume he didn't get the information. 

I don't really use texting for casual chitchat though, more for planning things or communicating information.  So it's clear when there's an "end" to the conversation.  I think when it's general chitchat then it's hard to have an expectation of a continual flow of response.  Not that you're wrong per se, I think it just seems your friend has a different expectation to you of how texting should work.

[Sharnita]

when she initially texts you can you respond with "call me"?

[Isometric]

Your friend sounds like me. I'm such a pain like that. It's just that texting is such a chore, such a boring ordeal that I can only manage one word at a time and then I lose interest.

This is me as well. Obviously if it's important you'll get a text straight away, but text chit chat is low on my priority list!

[fountainof]

I guess I might be guilty of some of these texting issues.  I just don't keep my phone 100% attached to me so I may send a text and not look at my phone for hours.  To me I guess I have always considered it more like short email.  I don't expect an immediate response.  If I need an immediate response I call the person.

[Twik]

Actually, this is a technological improvement. People like this used to use the telephone directly, so you'd get someone who'd call up, say "Hi!", and then expect you to do the work of continuing the conversation, even though if you'd really wanted to talk, you would have called them.

You know, conversations like this:

X: Hi!

Me: Hi! How are you?

X: Ok.

Me: ...

Me: So, what are you up to?

X: Not much.

Me: Really.
X: ...

Me: How about those Leafs?

X: ...

Me: Weather hot enough for you?

X: ....

Doing this by text is actually a great improvement.

[Mikayla]

I am a bit jaded but I hate texting. In my mind it should be used to communicate intent not protracted volleys of back and forth 'stuff'.

I.e "Am just leaving now will be at your in 20 mins"

as opposed to "What are you doing?" That is what phone calls are for.

I don't hate texting at all, but I agree with the rest of this.  Most of the younger people in my family (ages 12-18 or so) say they really hate talking on the phone.  My fear is they don't know how. 

[Alpacas]

This kind of texting style is one of me pet peeves (i think that's the expression).

To me messaging is about wanting to talk to someone.
But if i am on-line, and suddenly one of my friends writes me and then doesn't respond when i answer, it really annoys me.

i always try to explain it like this "you would never call someone on the phone and not talk to him then, would you?"
To me, that's what they're doing.
They're initiating a conversation and then don't participate.

It doesn't really help either that i was raised to  be punctual so if someone lets me wait for 20 minutes or more for an answer, i feel disrespected (as they couldn't respect our conversation enough to answer)
I would not have a problem if they simply said "Sorry gotta go and do the laundry." or " brb." or anything like that. But they don't.

The problem with letting someone wait for 20+ minutes is, that you start to do other things then.
You clean your flat, you start sketching, you play a game, and then, when the answer's finally coming after deity knows how long, you rather continue with your "distraction" than talk now. because  now you lost the talkative mood.

I'm probably considered a SS by my friends because of that, but everytime i don't get an answer for more than an hour, without being given a reason, i simply log off from the messengers. (who needs to be on-line in a messanger, if there are no messages

[gena264]

That is exactly how I feel Alpacas! I wouldn't mind at all if my friend (or anyone) texted me and then said something like " sorry, something just came up, I need to go now" or 'brb'... What bothers me is when someone initiates a conversation saying, " what are you doing?" or "hi" and then when I respond, they are nowhere to be found.. and then they are back again 2 hours later as if nothing happened, starting the same pattern over again!