On messaging

Messaging

Messaging refers to the transmission of information from one party, the transmitter (whether an individual or a group) to another party, the recipient (also whether an individual or a group).

A message consists of an arbitrary unit of transmission: one could package such a unit into any medium, such as a video, a post on a website, a physical sculpture or even an entire country; the sky becomes the limit as to the physical dimensions of a message. (One could even say that the whole world comprises a message by the universe!)

The medium that one uses to convey a message (and how they use that medium!) remains very important to the recipient decoding the message in the way the transmitter intended. If one uses the wrong medium, they could send out the wrong message!

"Instant" messaging

Also known as direct messaging, texting, SMS, instant messaging has an apt (and yet inappropriate) name: one party transmits the message and another party receives the message instantly at light speed by means of electricity! However, instant messaging has potential for deceleration of transmission via its feedback loop!

Still, 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! This creates the paradox of instant messaging.

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. The write of a snail mail message won't wait for a "hello" back before writing the rest of their letter!

“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!

Summary

• Messaging as the process of transmitting information ("messages") to a recipient
  • Instant messaging as one of the quickest, if not the quickest, forms of text-based messaging that paradoxically resemble snail mail "postal" messages
    • Asynchronous communication allows for this paradox
    • Don't just say "hello" in instant messaging - state your purpose!
    • No need to "@" a person (i.e. call them by their name) with the exception of group messages