Thing Eight Communication Web 2.0 Style

Well I think it's safe to say I'm a communicating junky. I use several instant messengers, for example, aim, msn, myspace, google chat, and I use to use yahoo but I was getting way to much junk mail so not so much any more. I use so many different one's because each of my friends have their own preference. I don't actually use msn as much any more because the friends I had on it doesn't use their accounts any more. Nonetheless, I still log on everyday so that while I'm working on the computer should I get an email from someone I can get an alert so I can stop what I'm doing and view it. Pretty much same goes for all the rest of the messengers I have, which wasn't mentioned on all that information for Thing 8. There are other features that come with instant messenging besides chatting. You can be waiting for someone to send an important email but you don't want to have to check it every five minutes. But with instant messengers you don't have to. Just turn it on and do your thing while you wait for the beep alert.

I also use text messaging every day. I prefer texting for two reasons. One is because for a small cost I can select unlimited text messaging as part of my phone service and never worry about going over and having to pay for it. Where as for some strange reason unbeknown to me unlimited calling is about $100 or more so I can't afford that. But when I get the cheap minutes I might accidentally go over and it would cost me two arms, a leg, and maybe my soul! Cost wise I think texting is more efficient, but that may just seem that way to me. Second reason is because like it was said in one of the articles, it's silent. No one notices and no one is disturbed by it. Libraries are all about quiet how can that not be useful?

My mom is my text buddy at the moment. I gave her a list of abbreviations to help her learn how to send text messages. Abbreviations are used because your only allowed about 100 letters give or take. If you have a long message you have to know how to condense it that way it can get across to whoever your sending it to. She actually studied it and tapped it up next to her calendar on her bedroom wall. If a library did use texting and instant messaging they'd have to learn the language, which to this day I'm still trying to learn. The list is always growing because they come up with new short phrase everyday. Teens, I think they have way to much free time... Here's some phrases:

lol: Laugh out loud
lmbo: Laugh my butt off
ttyl: Talk to you later
omg: Oh my god
nvm: Never mind

Check out this site, it has a massive list of them!
Or just copy and paste the link. Whatever works for you.
http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp

I think instant messaging and texting would be great tools to use in the library because it's so much more convenient. For example, when I needed to go to the library to find books for a report but couldn't go because some one had to stay home to wait for the repair man. I could easy use ask a librarian about how to focus my search than go to the catalog to request the books I needed to be put on hold and still be able to be at home to wait the repair guy. It's just so much more handy when you need to do a million things at once.