Jay's Blog

Tube Platform Strategy

Jay — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:34:00 +0000

Getting to work on the Tube (The London Underground)
can be quite an interesting journey. I’ve owned at least one car since
I was 18, and at one point owned three cars and a motorcycle. Taking
public transport to and from work every day was quite a culture shock.
One interesting little bit, and what I’d like to talk about today,
is Tube Platform Strategy. For those who don’t ride trains (or subways)
every day, the Platform is the area where travelers wait to
embark/disembark from the train. Given that we are talking about underground trains
here, each platform typically has 1 or 2 entrances or exits. These
exits lead to long hallways which take you to a stairway which takes
you to another long hallway which leads to a lift which stops at
another long hallway to an escalator which leads to another hallway
which takes you out of the tube station.

Now, given that the aforementioned long hallways are underground,
they are very narrow. If you also consider that this is Central London,
these cramped hallways are filled with approximately 8 million people
between the hours of 6am and 1am. Walking these lonely hallways can
take a very long time, and become very frustrating (Damned tourists!
Nobody wants to see your photos of you on an escalator!). You could
lose valuable time!
This is where Tube Platform Strategy comes in. You see, the goal here is to board a train in the approximate location where the exit will be at your destination station. For example, the exit at
Covent Garden station (Piccadilly Line, Eastbound) is approximately 2
cars up from the end of the train. Thus, when I board the Piccadilly
line at Earl’s Court, I make sure to board the train about 2 cars up
from the caboose (Do subways have Cabooses? Do the English have
Cabooses? This needs investigation!). Doing so will allow for a speedy
disembarkment from the train, granting me those precious seconds needed
to get in front of the crowd on my way out of the station.

Sounds easy so far, right? Well, it gets more complex when you have
to changer for different lines, have multiple lines stopping at one
platform, or know of the few secret exit/entrances at tube stations.
When changing lines, you have multple ‘exits’ to consider. You’ll
want to position yourself on your first train in a spot well suited for
the exit leading towards your next train. Then, the second train must be boarded in a manner advantageous to one’s exit at the next leg of their journey.
When you have multiple lines sharing the same platform – such as at
Embankment station Westbound, where the Circle line, District Line
(Richmond), District Line (Wimbledon), and District Line (Ealing
Broadway) all stop – you want to be very careful which train you board.
You could just get on the first Circle Line train that arrives, which
will at least get you headed in the right direction. However, you’ll
have to get off that train again in order to change for the proper
train. Is this what you really want? The next train could be more
crowded, could have a class of school-children, football hooligans,
vomiting drunks, or anything aboard! You will also have to re-think your platform strategy.
What’s better is to balance out how long you estimate waiting for your proper train with how long you
estimate it will take for you to arrive at your destination. If your
ultimate destination is Parson’s Green (on the Wimbledon branch of the
District Line), you want to either way at Embankment for a Wimbledon
train, or take the first avaialable District Line train towards your
destination. If the platform is especially crowded, it may be
worthwhile to see if there’s a train immediately behind the one you are
considering boarding (say, 1-2m behind).
Finally, my favorite part of the London Underground is the ‘hidden
entrances’. See, they have the tube stations set up in a manner that
supports crowd control. A popular platform will often have an exit
tunnel that leads directly to the escalator, rather than through a long
series of tunnels. This is to prevent too many people from crowding the
platform.
Since it’s preferable to have people crowd on the streets instead
of on the platform, you’ll often find hallways marked ‘Exit Only – Do
Not Enter’ Therein lies the secret! These tunnels will often lead
directly to the platform you seek, rather than the round-about path
they wish you to take.
One such path is at Liecester Square tube station, heading westbound
on the Piccadilly line. If you were to follow the signs, you would find
yourself walking through tunnels for 10 minutes as they direct you around the
platform and onto it from the back end. If you’re wise to their game,
you’ll duck into the ‘Do Not Enter’ hallway, and find yourself on the
desired platform a mere 15 paces later.
Go forth with this knowledge, my children. Only use it for good.

Bank Cards vs Cash

Jay — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:33:16 +0000

Before moving to London, I had nearly gotten rid of cash altogether.
I had my trusty Visa Debit card (issues by my bank and tied to my
checking account), along with a Visa Credit Card for emergencies or
large purchases. These cards were accepted nearly everywhere, from
grocery stores to restaurants to gas stations to clothing stores to
cinemas to even the cafeteria and coffee stand at work. I almost never
had cash in my wallet, except for rare occasions where I’d need to pay
a friend (or a friend paid me), or had to buy something from a street
vendor.
Then, I moved to London.
In the UK, they have the same debit system we had in the US. Out
here, your bank will issue you a debit card tied to your current
account. They even have a slightly more secure setup whereby you insert
your card into a reader to have a chip read, rather than swiping the
magnetic strip. Different mechanics, but same overall effect.

However, for whatever reason, far fewer places accept debit cards,
and are ‘cash only’. Some places will charge a card only if there’s a
minimum payment (usually around £5-10). These places exist in the US
too, but seem far more rare. I’m constantly asking to borrow money from
my coworkers when we go out to lunch… not because I’m hard up for
money, but because I don’t have any cash on me, only my debit card!
A very good example of this, is McDonald’s. When I first moved to
London, McDonald’s restaurants were cash only (I think they finally
joined us in the 21st century a few months back). As an American, that
completely boggles my mind. McDonald’s only accepts cash?!? Preposterous!
I think this is either partially caused by (or affects) the cash
machines. In the US, a completely ‘free’ ATM is very very rare, almost
unheard of. If the ATM itself doesn’t charge you $1.50 for withdrawals,
your bank will charge you to use another bank’s ATM. The only ‘free’
ATMs are located at your bank branches. As a member of a Credit Union
with only 3 branches in the state, that’s not an ideal solution.
In the UK, the vast majority of Cash Machines are free. All Cash
Machines operated by any of the big banks are free, neither the Cash
Machine’s owner nor your bank will charge you to use it. I’ve still
seen a few Cash Machine’s that do charge, but they’re usually located
inside a small corner store or something.
Cash Machines here in London almost always have a queue
(line). Even at my local corner store at 2am, there always seems to be
1 or 2 people waiting to get cash. This problem is very bad near the
office in Covent Garden. There’s only 1 cash machine anywhere within a
6-7 minute radius of Neal’s Yard. Rather unsurprisingly, there’s
typically a massive queue during lunch time (I’m talking a
Football-Stadium-ATM-At-Halftime line!).

Part of my aforementioned lunch-money problem stems from my Cash
Machine/ATM habits. As I mentioned earlier, it was very rare for me to
pull money out of an ATM in the US. When I did so, it was usually $20
or $40. I didn’t like carrying too much cash with me at one time. Here
in the UK, those kinds of habits leave you cashless quite quickly. I
brought this up to a couple friends, and they told me their average
withdrawels were £80-100 at a time! That explains why I run out of cash
so much quicker than they do.
So, for those of you that have graciously purchased my lunch on
several occasions over the past year, I encourage you to pester each
and every vendor you encounter who only accepts cash. It will make all
of our lives easier, I promise. Nothing could possibly go wrong with an
entirely cashless society!

NFL in London

Jay — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:32:21 +0000

Every year, as part of the NFL’s International Series, there’s a good old fashioned American Football game at London’s Wembley stadium. I missed last year’s game (between the Giants and the Dolphins), but I was able to make it this year to see the Saints and the Chargers play.

I’d never been to Wembley Stadium before, so I was excited at the chance. It’s a fairly new stadium… according to Wikipedia, it’s the second largest in Europe (seats 90,000 fans) and it’s the most expensive sports arena ever built.

Here’s the view right off of the tube station. I was really impressed by this. The station empties onto a giant stairway that leads to a road directly to the stadium. The view was great.

And the view from a little closer:

I went with my coworker JJ. He’s French Canadian, but still a Football fan (he spent quite a bit of time regaling me on stories of the CFL). We went to the game expecting the crowd to be mostly American expats, but I have to admit, nearly everyone I heard speak had a British accent. It made me a bit proud… apparently there’s quite an NFL following in London!

I had considered wearing my Seahawks jersey, but since the Hawks weren’t playing, I decided against it. This turned out to be a mistake, however. As JJ put it, ‘This isn’t a Saints/Chargers game, this is an NFL Event!’ I’d never seen so many diverse jerseys! I’m sure I saw a couple jerseys from every team there. I think the Saints fans were the most prolific, followed by the Chargers, and then probably followed by Packers fans (boo!). I loved all the diversity.

We had a couple £4 beers and a terrible (but filling) burger outside. We were originally going to meet some other coworkers who were going to the game, but they ended up bailing (excessive drinking from the night before). After our beers, JJ and I made our way inside.

Wembley stadium is massive. Its capacity is 90,000 fans, which is roughly twice that of my hometown’s Safeco field. Apparently this game was sold out, but someone over the loudspeaker said that there were “only” 83,000 people there.

Here are the players warming up, and then the New Orleans Saintsations(cheerleaders) before the game:

For whatever reason, the stadium was done up as if it were a Saints home game. There were Saints insignia everywhere, the Saints wore their home uniforms, and there were even little black flags underneath all the seats. Here are JJ and I posing with our flags:

As there is only one NFL game in London per season, they really went out of their way to make it an entertaining match. The pre-game show featured a little number by the Cheerleaders, then some armed forces (not sure which country or division) marched out holding giant American and British flags. Then, they did this bit with a couple giant blimps while Stereophonic came on the field and played a couple songs.

Another bit of evidence as to the demographic of the crowd. Some semi-famous singer (who’s name I can’t recall) came out and sang the US National Anthem. There was your usual applause towards the end. Then another semi-famous singer (unknown to me) came out to sing God Save The Queen, and it felt like the whole stadium sung along! JJ and I were floored! Apparently there were more British in the crowd than we originally expected!

The game itself was quite good. The Saints dominated the Chargers, but the Chargers almost came back in the end. Sadly, JJ and I left with about 8 minutes on the clock, so we missed a couple good plays towards the end. We didn’t want to be in the middle of 83,000 people catching the tube home!

The only other notable event was when I went to the toilet during the first half. I’m reasonably certain I saw Wendell Pierce (who plays Bunk Moreland on The Wire) taking a piss.

Overall, quite an ejoyable evening.

Washing Clothes

Jay — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:31:29 +0000

One thing I’d learnt about before moving to London was the placement of the washer and dryer. Whilst browsing listings for flats, I saw several with photographs of what appeared to be an odd looking washing machine in the kitchen! Closer inspection proved that, yes, most washing machines in the UK are kept in the kitchen (where in the US they’re more likely to be found in the bathroom). In addition to this, Washer/Dryer combination machines are quite popular!

In case you’re wondering what I’m talking about… I’m not referring to the stackable washer/dryer sets like you’d find in many US apartments. I’m talking about a single machine (in the kitchen) that both washes and dries your clothes.

Here’s a photo from my first flat in London. Aside from the laughably tiny kitchen, you can see what I mean. This device performs both the arduous task of washing ones clothes as well as drying them:

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘jack of all trades, master of none’? I think this machine aptly demonstrates the meaning. It does the job of washing the clothes admirably, but drying leaves much to be desired. Apparently, part of drying clothes involves a spin cycle of approximately 50,000 RPM. In a horizontally oriented spinner, this shakes the entire building. I always felt bad doing laundry late at night, as I was undoubtedly making more noise than my newlywed neighbors. Also, I suspect the machine wasn’t built (or installed) very well, because it kept leaking water on to the heater part of the dryer, causing it to short out (blowing the building’s fuse and destroying itself in the process). I went through 3 washers in the six months I lived in this flat.

At my next flat, the building had a shared commercial-grade washer and dryer. A proper setup, with a separate washer and dryer. Sure, it cost £3 for the washer and £1 for 20 minutes of drying time (so £2-3 to dry a full load of clothes), but my clothes came out clean and warm and soft, as well they should.

Well, I’ve moved again, and my new flat has a washer/dryer combo again. The good/bad news of this situation is that the drying portion of this one is actually broken! It does a brilliant job of washing clothes, but can’t dry them at all. This means that in order to dry my clothes, I had to hang-dry them. I bought a couple airers from Argos, very much like the one this lovely lady is showing off, and thought I was good to go!

The first couple loads were alright. My socks and t-shirts and boxers came out of the ordeal relatively dry. I have a corner in my room where I can set the airers up, and if I do a load of laundry, most clothes will be dry if I leave them overnight and throughout work the next day.

Last night, I washed my first towel, and boy do I miss my old £3 dryer! I left the towels (2 of them, actually) hang drying last night and today during work. As towels are quite large, they’re folded in half and then hung over the wire in half again. The outside half of the towel is dry, albeit hard and crusty. The inside of the towel is still dry (I had to fold the towels the other way and will leave them that way tonight). The worst part? The towel smells ever-so-faintly of mildew.

Is it worth it to lug my clothes to a laundromat? (or whatever they’re called here). Well, I’ll let you know after tomorrow’s shower!

Jacket Potatoes

Jay — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:30:29 +0000

One of the foods out here in the UK I’ve grown to love is a Jacket Potato. If you Americans are wondering what a Jacket Potato is… well, it’s another name for a Baked Potato.

Back home, a Baked Potato is simply a potato that has been tossed in the oven for an hour or so. Among my family, it’s a common side-dish (we usually have baked potatoes whenever we have Steak). Baked potatoes are typically split open, and have butter spread inside the potato. As far as toppings go, the following toppings were common in my family.

Sour Cream

Chives

Bacon Bits

Overall, a baked potato is really just a side dish, nothing special.

Jacket potatoes, on the other hand, or a whole different affair.

I’ve found Jacket potatoes to be more the main part of the meal itself. Jacket potatoes in the UK are topped with a whole lot more toppings as well! Some of the jacket potatoes I’ve tried have been topped with…

Beans & Cheese (Sausage Optional)

Tuna and Corn

Mexican Tuna (a spicy type of Tuna)

Salmon and Cream Cheese

As you can see, the British are much more creative with their potato toppings! In fact, check out this site - http://www.studentcook.co.uk/TenJacketPotatoes.html

Some of their suggestions for Jacket Potatoes…

Mushrooms & Cream

Prawns with Mayonnaise

Curry

I’m no expert on the matter, but I’ve been told that a Jacket Potato with Beans & Cheese is a ‘very english lunch’. If that’s the case, you can say I’ve “gone native” as I LOVE a jacket potato with beans and cheese. There’s a small cafe near my work that sells jacket potatoes with Beans, Cheese, and Sausage, and boy is it good!

Europeans are awful at getting in line!

Jay — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:29:34 +0000

Warning: In this blog entry, I will make broad generalizations. I tend to do that a lot normally, but I think this blog entry will go above and beyond that, so I thought I’d post this warning beforehand.

Europeans in general are much much worse at lining up (or ‘queueing up’ as it’s called here in the UK) than Americans. I think the root of the problem is that people out here tend to be slightly more aggressive in their desire to get to the front, whereas Americans will go for politeness, even if they’re not particularly polite people.

An excellent example of this are the McDonalds restaurants out here. It may be that the only McDonalds I’ve been to have been in the heart of London (ergo, small, crowded, and busy), but the registers are all set up in a row on the counter. Customers approach the counter wheverever they think the queue is shortest, and queue up for that particular register. As is human nature, people rarely queue up in an orderly fashion. Some people try to hover between two lines (to get their food quicker), some people bunch up with their friends and form a blob as opposed to a line… you get the point.

Anyway, in this type of scenario back home, most people will maintain a thin veil of politeness. If a person has obviously been waiting longer, most people will defer to them and let them approach the counter first. Occasionally you’ll find an aggressive person who tries to squeeze their way to the front, but it’s actually the exception to the norm.

My experiences in Europe (both in the UK and on the continent) have been to the contrary. People seem extremely aggressive to get to the front as quickly as possible. Several times I’ve been waiting in a line and the person behind me will edge off to the side and start creeping forward, even getting past me and slightly in front of me. Should I delay for even a moment in heading up to the counter when called, this person will seize the opportunity for themselves.

This scenario also plays out when there is no clear line/queue, just a broad counter with several people waiting at various points. I used to work at a grocery store deli back in Seattle, and I saw this all the time. Believe it or not, most people (back home) were fairly polite and would indicate which person had been waiting at the counter the longest. Similar situations in Europe tend to end in whomever shouting their order first getting served first.

Another example is if a new register opens up next to one with a long line. Logic and politeness dictate that the 2nd person in the line should go to the new register (as they have been the ones waiting longest who have not yet been served). However, multiple times I’ve been in such a line when a new register opens up. What usually happens is that a person from the back of the line will sprint to the new register, past the people that have clearly been waiting longer, to order their food. Nothing illegal about that, but it’s something that would very likely get you yelled at in the US.

Perhaps what bugs me most about this is that I’m clearly not being aggressive enough when in a queue. I’ll often politely gesture to the person in front of me to enter the new line, only to find the 5 people behind me have jumped into it. Instead of pushing my way to the front, I’ll wait for for the clerk/cashier to call on the next person.

So, on one of my visits back to the states, if you ever find yourself in line with me and I elbow you in the back of the head and run to the front while you’re on the ground… you’ll understand why and perhaps show some forgiveness.

Mayonnaise

Jay — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:28:10 +0000

Mayonnaise is an interesting subject.

So, let me start this off by letting you all know that, in the US, I hate mayo. I put a very light coating of it on the bread of my sandwiches, but it’s only to “moisten” the sandwich really. It tastes pretty disgusting, so I keep the layer thin enough to not taste it. You know when you order a chicken sandwich from some fast food joint and it comes dripping in mayo? Ugh, I shuddered a bit just typing that.

Apparently, European mayonnaise is different from American mayonnaise (my coworkers think it has something to do with pasteurization of the eggs, but I digress). Out here, it’s quite common to use mayo in a lot more places than just on sandwiches. One of the most common usages is with Fries. Not so much in London, but in Europe more so. If you order Fries at a restaurant, you’re more likely to get mayonnaise to dip them in than ketchup.

On the surface, this sounds absolutely abhorrent. The thought of dipping my fries in American mayonnaise is absolutely disgusting. However, remember what I said in the last paragraph. European mayonnaise tastes different. It’s saltier, for one. I can’t describe the whole differences… but just take my word for it, it’s not disgusting.

Last weekend I went to Brussels (Belgium) with an American friend of mine. While there, I made sure to have some Frites (fries) with lots of mayo. It’s absolutely delicious! In the Netherlands, they’re specifically called Vlaamse Frites (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slice/105233256/).

Every time I mention this to a fellow American, they shudder with distaste and adamantly insist that they hate mayonnaise so there’s no possible way they could like it with their fries!

Well, I just wanted to take this moment to let you all know… it tastes different, you close minded jerkface! Try it out! You may like it, I know I do.

That is all.

American English vs The Queen’s English

Jay — Wed, 09 May 2007 06:26:17 +0000

Not so much words… but different phrases. Here are a few things I’ve learnt (Americans: that’s English for “learned”) from my time spent out here.

Are you alright? In America, one asks “are you alright?” only with the strict implication that you don’t look alright. The question is almost rhetorical, and really means “You don’t look well for some reason. What’s wrong?” In England, it’s the same thing as saying “How are you?” and is a common greeting. The first time my coworker asked “Hey Jay, are you alright?” as I walked into the office in the morning, I must have startled him by my “What? I’m fine, why do you ask?!?” response.

Is that Jay? (or it could be “Is it Jay?”, I’m not sure, and due to accents, it’s hard to tell) As an American, when you call a number, and someone you don’t know answers the phone, the typical query is “Hi, is Jay there?” or maybe “Hi, can I talk to Jay?” or something along those lines. The British equivelant is “Is that Jay?”.

Fanny In America, it’s a silly syonym for “butt”, used to describe the “Fanny Packs” that people like my grandfather still wear. In the UK, it’s a synonym for “pussy” (ie, vulgar slang for a “vagina”) and thus, not something you want to say in public.

Way Out I’m used to all the Exits being marked by the ubiquitous green “Exit” sign. In England, the phrase “Way Out” is just as common on signs, and means the same thing.

Toilet In America, they’re called Bathrooms (or maybe “Restrooms” or “Wash Rooms” as a slightly more polite term). Out here, the common term is “Toilet” ie; “Where are the toilets?” I’ve heard it called a “loo” a couple times, but that’s actually really rare. Also, I don’t think America has any of the completely exposed, outdoor urinals like some European cities do in busy areas. You haven’t lived until you’ve pissed into a metal column in the middle of the busy Oudezijds Voorburgwal (A street in Amsterdam’s Red Light District). Which is a great segue into…

Urinals In America, pronounced “YUR i nuls” In England, “yur EYE nuls”.

Mobile Phones “Cell Phones” same thing, slightly different term

Pay as you go In America, I’ve seen this more commonly phrased as “Pre Pay”

Take Away same as “Take Out”… ie “Eat in or take away?”

Z In American, pronounced “zee”, in pretty much the rest of the English speaking world, “zed”.

Floor Brush I had to buy a broom out here, I hadn’t a clue what they’re called! I searched for “broom”, and “sweeper” on www.argos.co.uk, and neither returned results (although they do now, hmmm). Turns out that “Floor Brush” is a common term.

Hobb The same as a “Stove” or “Range” or “Grill” (basically, the stove in the kitchen)

Pikey Ever watch Snatch? Remember Brad Pitts character, and the class of people he was from? (the weird gypsy like travevling people). They were referred to as “Pikeys” in the movie. One time, I (rather loudly) asked my coworkers in a busy restaurant “Are Pikeys real?” They all looked alarmed, shushed me, and glanced around nervously. Turns out it’s a racial slur along the same lines as “nigger” in offensiveness.

Ozzie, Kiwi, Saffa Australian, New Zealander, and South African (respectively). One odd thing compared to Seattle is that we have TONS of Ozzies and Kiwis here in London, which on the surface, doesn’t make sense. Seattle is a LOT closer, after all. Then you realize that they’re in the British Commonwealth, and thus don’t need a Visa to enter the UK.

Ground Floor In America, a multiple-story building has it’s floors named as thus (from the ground up) “1st floor”, “2nd floor”, “3rd floor”. In the UK, they’re “Ground Floor”, “1st Floor”, “2nd Floor”… so on and so forth. If you get in an English elevator (called “lifts”) and press “1″, you will not be taken to the ground floor. You will be taken to what an American considers the “2nd” floor.

My flat sucks!

Jay — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 06:21:53 +0000

Man, my flat here in London really sucks. I can’t wait for this 6 month contract to end so I can move.

1) The Water - I guess I’ve narrowed it down to having really hard water here. The shower stall is really tiny, so that’s already a little miserable. However, the Water in my flat is HORRIBLE.

a) It’s “hard”. This causes numerous problems. For some reason, it makes my scalp super super itchy and I have to use dandruff shampoo almost every day. When I went back to Seattle, there was a noticibledifference in how my scalp and hair felt. It also makes shaving a pain in the ass, because it doesn’t lather very well and my face always stays “dry” feeling, which means I cut myself a LOT.

b) I think the whole house shares a hot water heater. Sometimes, the water will only barely get sufficiently hot. Sometimes it swings over to scalding hot on a moments notice. Most frustratingly, it does this really really rapidly (changing from cold to hot), so there are times when I can’t stand under the water because it’s changing temperature too rapidly.

2) The Dust – So, the landlord is re-modeling the house, so men are working most days. I knew this when I moved in. What i did NOT know was that everything gets caked in dust FAST. I think it has to do with all the drywall or something, but it gets dusty/dirty FAST in my place. This especially sucks with the hardwood floor. Any clothes left on the floor (which I do often) get “dust stains” on them immediately.

3) The Heat – My flat has a radiator in it. I have no idea how to use it (I think it’s controlled through the whole house?) Sometimes it gets really really cold in here, and I have no idea if I can even turn this heater on! (this one is partially my fault because I haven’t bothered to ask the landlord yet).

4) The Neighbors – Most other people in the house are quiet. The landlord, however, lives on the ground floor with his family. They’re Indian, and they cook Indian food a lot (which means the house reeks of spices all the time). Also, his children are annoying as hell. They yell and scream a lot, climb all up and down the stairs (one morning I didn’t lock my door and they actually opened my door and started to come in while I was sleeping!) and they play on the stairs. They haven’t been taught to get out of people’s way though. The staircases are really narrow, and they’ll play right at the top of them. They won’t move to let people walk by, but just sit there and stare at you. One time I nearly fell down the stairs lugging my huge suitcase because they wouldn’t move, so I had to try to climb over them.
All of this stuff doesn’t even cover my crappy internet connection, which is making my time here very miserable.

IM Etiquette

Jay — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 06:20:54 +0000

I keep getting more and more annoyed with several people’s IM etiquette. Let me preface this by saying that I’ve been using various IM (Instant Message) programs for years now. I’ve had my AIM name since about 2 weeks after AIM was released (I’m guessing around 10 years now?) and I’ve used MSN extensively at my last several jobs.

AIM has a feature called “away messages”, which is basically a functionality that allows you to notify everyone when you’re not at the computer with a custom message. MSN has a similar feature, except that there’s no “message” to it, you just mark yourself away. In addition to being away, both the aforementioned protocols support “idle” status. The bulk of my complaint is when people abuse this Away feature. Maybe “abuse” is a bad word, but they just use it improperly, thereby rendering it completely pointless.

On AIM, I have several friends who just put up generic away messages and leave it like that for days. Often times they won’t take down the away message when they’re actually at the computer, they won’t update it over the course of several days (are you really at work for 4 days solid? day and night?). This gets worse when certain clients don’t support the “idle” state and it never appears as idle. There’s absolutely no difference between someone who is away and someone who is at their computer. You have no way of knowing if someone is there (and will reply to your message) or is actually away, despite what their status. This renders the whole concept of “away” as completely useless.

MSN users have similar problems. I use this extensively at work (as do most of the people I work with). Right now is a prime example. I have a coworker who marked himself as “busy” yesterday (to imply that he was really busy and had no time to chat). Despite this, he still IMs people on the team with random questions, statements, and querys about lunch. Basically, despite being marked “busy”, he’s behaving exactly the same as every other day. This morning, I have a question of him, so I drop him an IM. I notice that his status is “busy” but not idle. His status has been like this since yesterday morning. So, he may be busy (or he may not be), he may be at his computer (or he may not be), he may be in bed at 4am (or may not be), and it doesn’t matter. His status is the same and gives no clues as to his availability. Case in point: he actually hadn’t gotten to work for the day, so his status would be better marked as ‘away’ or even signed off. After he arrived (an hour later), he replied to my IM and we started a conversation. His status stayed the same.

These are pretty petty frustrations, but it’s becoming more and more common and it bugs the hell out of me. I try to be a bit more concise about my status on IM. I may leave myself online while I go to the bathroom or go check the mail, or maybe I’m just puttering around the house while leaving myself online (but will check my computer every now and then). I DON’T, however, go to bed without signing off or putting myself away. I don’t leave the same specific (but incorrect) away message up for days at a time, and I don’t mark myself as “Busy” while still conducting conversations as normal. If I’m online and not “away”, chances are I will reply to your conversation within 5-10 minutes, because I’m not actually ::gasp:: away. If I’m not at my computer and won’t be for quite some time, I won’t be signed in or I will have an away message up.

I’d kindly ask that anyone talk to do the same.
kthxbye.