Am I being rude by being offline?

[Itza]

One of my FB friends just asked me if I ever used FB chat the other day!

I just said I kept it switched off because I end up getting dragged off the computer and I feel guilty for abruptly leaving chat friend.

Same goes for IM and lengthy telephone calls. I'm always interrupted one way or another by my children or my husband that it's just not worth doing that in the first place.

Hence the reason I like forums and email because I can consider my replies and type when I'm able to 

[Giggity]

Why would you think there would even be a question of rudeness?

[StressedGroom]

I'm default for offline on Facebook.  Facebook is my homepage, so if I open the browser there it is.  I also always have my computer turned on and online, so I've come back and found people had tried to start a chat with me hours ago.  I've also had the person who wants to chat when I've just come online to look something up for work, it's distracting so I turn it off.

[Sabbyfrog2]

I'm default for offline on Facebook.  Facebook is my homepage, so if I open the browser there it is.  I also always have my computer turned on and online, so I've come back and found people had tried to start a chat with me hours ago.  I've also had the person who wants to chat when I've just come online to look something up for work, it's distracting so I turn it off.

Yep. I defaulted mine too. I hate chatting and only turn it on if I see someone on I need to talk to right now and don't want it on my wall. But the problem with that is once I turn it on, I get bombarded with IM's from other people. I usually start my respond by saying, "I am only on for a minute so I can't really talk too long." So when I say I have to go, they don't get all offended.

Plus, there is no time for me to really think and formulate my response on IM so I prefer not to use it unless it really is for a quick one on one question and response session.