Checking your buddy list twice
Blow off your classes and turn off your phone – today you’re on a mission: it’s National Talk to Everyone on Your Buddy List Day.
Instant Messenger limits you to 200 buddies, and odds are your list is almost full. But how many of your buddies are really your friends? Most lists are polluted with high school acquaintances and online stalkers (or maybe that’s just me), but don’t delete them yet. It’s time for a farewell chat.
You have to initiate a final conversation before you give each former friend the axe. So even if you haven’t seen them since eighth grade, they’re fair game if they’re online.
The first key to buddy dismissal is knowing who you’re talking to. If you come across an unfamiliar screen name, check the profile for any identifying shout-outs, cell numbers or inside jokes. If you still are unable to identify the mystery buddy, just pose as a drunken friend and send some garbled IMs until they introduce themselves.
DaCUSE&4: omg whats ^ party!!~
DaCUSE&4: whaat are you wearing/?
QtPie8#: eww, who is this?
DaCUSE&4: whose this!
QtPie8#: this is brittany, i’m calling public safety!
At this point, step in, apologize for your intoxicated typist, and you’re golden! If you do know your buddy in advance, things are a little easier. But it gets really awkward when they don’t know you.
DaCUSE&4: hey, remember me from camp?
Wht$ox125: yeah, didn’t we get to second base behind cabin 4?
DaCUSE&4: um … no, we bunked together
Wht$ox125: sure, whatever, gtg bye!
Mistaken identity is bad, but sometimes it’s worse when you know what you’re getting into. When you’re ditching an old cyber-lover, keep things quick and courteous.
DaCUSE&4: hey, i’m taking you off my buddy list
Hottie3!5: hi! age/sex check?
DaCUSE&4: i’m sorry, things are getting too weird
Hottie3!5: but your typed words are so sexy!!!
Hottie3!5: don’t leave me! i’m flirty and vivacious!
If things get fired up, scare away your ex-buddies by switching to a black background with red letters. If they’re already using those colors, just cut your losses and block them now.
Game of the Week: Text Twist
http://games.yahoo.com/games/downloads/tx.html
Impress your writing teacher and show off your vocabulary with Text Twist, an online word jumble game. You get two minutes to form as many words as you can from six letters. When you get the longest word, you move on to the next exciting round. The downloadable version includes longer words and dictionary definitions for each word you form. Unfortunately, you have to pay $19.99 to play it more than 10 times.
Site of the Week: AwayBox
The away message is the coolest part of the Internet, and AwayBox takes it to the next level. The site hooks directly into AOL Instant Messenger and works its magic by changing your away message every few seconds. You can choose a random category, like ‘Shower,’ create your own custom list, or even set up a countdown to when you’ll be back at the computer. So if you’re leaving the computer and feeling uncreative, AwayBox can help. Or you could just sign off.
Armed with a clean buddy list, a stunning vocabulary and some sweet away messages, you’re set for the week – and ready to take the World Wide Web by storm!
Published on September 1, 2003 at 12:00 pm
