When you’re talking to someone over an instant messaging program there’s always the chance that you’ll say something you wish you could take back. It happens, but most people understand and overlook that sort of thing. Even if it’s a bit of a concern to you, you don’t have to forego any kind of instant messaging. It’s a great way to get information that’s up to the minute without stopping what you’re doing to go look around on different websites. Why should you spend time doing that when you could keep working and let your IM friends keep you informed?
That’s true whether you’re looking for information about what’s going on in the world, or just information about what’s going on in your industry. Either way, there are plenty of fascinating things happening all the time. With IM, you don’t need to miss out on anything – and you might have good tidbits of information that you can share right back, keeping the two-way communication going strong. Don’t underestimate the value of staying informed through IM and of helping others to stay informed, as well.
You don’t have to get away from the other work that you’re doing or close out your browser window. You can just answer the IM and go right back to work, making things fast and efficient. You don’t spend a lot of time conversing that way, and you get the chance to make sure that you get your work done even while you’re paying attention to the day’s events. Using IM can be helpful when it comes to family issues, too, especially if someone is very ill or is about to have a baby. If you can’t be there, you at least want to be kept informed. There are only so many ways to do that, and IM is by far one of the most convenient.