AIM as a major stressor...

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Picture this: You're watching a movie, or maybe playing a game, basically enjoying some "alone time" for whatever reason. Out of the blue, someone starts IMing you. "BOING!" Goes the AIM. You figure, "Eh, I'm in the middle of something, not really in the mood to talk to anybody," so you ignore it. A few SECONDS go by. The same person IMs you. Only this time, it's not with a "Real" message. He's doing it to get you to respond.

*BOING* "U there?"

*BOING* "Yo."

*BOING* "Hello?"

etc.

About this time, you are getting frustrated at AIM because it is disturbing you, and there is no way for you to get it to stop *BOING*-ing. In fact, it's *BOINGED" so much now that you are started to get distressed. Again, you really don't want to answer it, and this despite having a status message that says "I'm not here right now, but leave a message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible," but it continues to go off.

At about that point, I get all panicky, and whimper "What do you want?" Under my breath as I go to respond. It's not about anything important, so I say, "Ok," and proceed to go back to playing or reading, or whatever. Conversation over, right?

BUT NO!

*BOING* *BOING* *BOING* *BOING* *BOING* (basically, repeat the pattern)

At this point, if it wasn't for the fact that I was at home, I'd be screaming, "GO AWAY!" But instead, another panicky response. "Ok."

And so on and so on.

The reasons that I nearly have meltdown because of AIM are basically threefold.

1) I really don't want to be bothered, and person X can clearly see that I am AFK.
2) Person X persists in IMing even after I have ignored him
3) Person X doesn't get the hint that I really just want to be left alone, and when I do tell him that, he says, "Say the word and I won't IM you," which isn't exactly what I want either.

What do I do? Am I not really the sort of person who should be using AIM? :-p
Does this happen frequently to others?

Dude, why are you even logged on then if you don't want to talk? Don't log on if you don't want to talk. Also turned down the sound or turn off the speakers.

Yeah people are stupid for not listening to away messages.


I know what they want. They want to talk or else they wouldn't be messaging you. To them being online means you want to talk and if you didn't want to talk, you wouldn't be logged on. I don't log on if I don't want to talk. But I also tend to leave the messenger on when I take my shower or cook but I tell my buddies I will be right back or I have to go and "ttyl." If someone messages me, I am not there to see it until I am back but I usually log off when I am about to go to bed or get off or I don't feel like talking.

*facepalm* That's so...simple. Why did I not think of that lol. I will definitely do that then.

It was upsetting that many people on instant messengers wouldn't reply when I sent them messages, or worse, made up some sort of excuse not to talk. Again, why be online if you can't chat?

Sometimes people aren't at the computer when you message them. I have messaged people online and they wouldn't reply so I figure they are just busy with something or they aren't at the computer at the moment. In my teens I used to think they were ignoring me and I scared them away somehow so that's how we lose contact. Now I realize maybe I never scared those people away and they were just busy when I IM them and they never bothered IMing me when I be on so that's how we lost contact.