That's a good blog, Jakob.
I don't use IM as often as you'd think ;-) since the people I know who have it, I can talk to on the phone or in real life.
I don't really use the role-play thing much beyond inserted emoticons here and there. A smile here or there is automatic, so is the "lol" - sometimes it's "haha!" Which is an actual laugh being typed in, in case you want to know ;-)
I think IM'ing limits me, at least - since I talk quicker than I type for one thing, and all sorts of nuances are pretty much lost on IM's. I certainly can't spend the time to role-play every mode of body language or the nuances in speech or action that makes us all unique!
There have been misunderstandings, too - funny you should ask that. In a message that is coming out literally black and white - one would think the words should be quite clear, like something I said to my sister - and then she said she didnt understand. it's because she was too busy lolling and rolling eyes with three other people. Something I don't think she finds any easier in real life. heehee.
In general IM's are great, especially to broaden your worldviews - the chat programs I've used haven't really had an issue with though, it's always been about the people who are on it.

Interesting blog, jak.
Just to add to it, it seems with a lots of my IMs, the ability to comunicate depends on where we first developed our relationship - it's rare for me to be able to communicate equaly well on IM, the phone and real life. A lot of my 'internert' buddies like you I communicate very well on IM and think that we adapted to it first and I'm most comfortable with it. With other people, generally people who I talk with a lot face to face, it is very difficult to talk on MSN etc because our conversations seem much more limited.

I don't use IM often now but used it voriciously (SP??) in the past. Maybe the reason is that I find talking on msn generally results in conversations about nothing and due to limited time - I don't see my friends IRL either too much.

I use smilies an awful lot and feel lost without them. On IM it's difficult for me to make a joke without using a smilie, it makes it much more clear to use a wink or tongue smilie to show that you aren't being too serious. The real life counterpart wouldn't be a wink as I don't wink much, but the wink symbolises cheekiness rather than being an exact and accurate response. The same with Lol, I don't laugh too much on the internet - it's less funy without the physical elements - but due to the conventions and the symbolic meaning of the smilies - eg the :) smilie is generally a sweet sentiment rather than an amused one - I say lol instead.
I roleplay with some people but only as an extension of a joke or as a err sexual thing when I was younger. ;)

I think IM is very limiting in some ways, in a face to face encounter a great number of emotions can be displayed and immediately apparent and this is only true to a much lesser degree in IM. I think it's difficult particularly with apologies or times when you try to be sincere, problem's we've had in the past would probably but little problem if face to face.

In general I like IM but use it with caution, and try to find idiosyncratic ways to express how I feel which are different to everyday life. It's certainly not perfect and very different from everyday life, but this adds an aspect to relationships rather than detracting. Where possible it seems best to be used in a balance with phone calls and face to face methods too otherwise it may be difficult to communicate in these methods, it has been for me. I can't IM or talk on the phone with sujun at all ;)

Sorry I took so long to reply; but have been swamped with work and sleep. Anyway, back to the point at hand-

I did use IM a lot; less so now I'm in uni and have less time (also because my Mac refuses to sign me in automatically). So I would say no, I don't (probably on average about once a week, if that)

As regards smileys, I do tend to use a few of them relatively frequently, such as this one- :D. Generally, it's because I'm actually smiling, or happy- and it's something I always do in normal conversation (smile, I mean); so I think it's actually a more accurate portrayal of me in that sense.

Oddly enough, I rarely feel that IM limits me- I talk to a lot of people more on IM than I ever would in real life, and it's another way of communicating with people. I've never had misunderstandings with people, as I generally make myself very clear whenever I 'speak'. In fact, having to type something out generally makes me stop and think about what I'm saying a bit more; possibly avoiding misunderstandings in certain cases. I know of cases where IM HAS caused misunderstandings, but that arises more from the individual rather than the actual medium of communication itself.

Essentially, IM can never replace face to face conversation. There are certain things that can never be conveyed through an electronic medium- the way they smile, their body language, their mannerisms, which, ultimately, is what a person really is. If you're looking for it as a means of replacing real, tangible contact, it will obviously never be perfect. Nonetheless, IM allows you to communicate with someone, and connect with them on a thoroughly intellectual- well, intellectual is debatable, given phenomena like text speak, but I think you know what I mean. The downfall is that it's much easier for someone to conceal who they really are when they're typing as opposed to when they're standing in front of you, and as such, unless one is totally honest (as I would like to think I am), you're probably getting a filtered view of the person, or worse, a completely different and dishonest view of the person.

Yeah, the person on the other end could be a total wank and you'd never know until you met the old rapist in a dark alley somewhere.

Just got off talking with Dave on MSN. First time I've signed in in (ininininin whee!_ glibbles!)) months, so I guess you could say I'm a light user. I'm usually pretty animated when I talk and ya can't do none 'o that on the old typy box! Oh noes! But I don't find that the removal of the presence of the other person detracts from a conversation, so much as it makes way for another communication. Most people are, to varying degrees, quite different when typing to someone on the internet and a lot of the time the anonymity allows for more honest dialogue.

I dunno about you though Jak. For some reason i get the feeling that your internet persona portrays the real life you fairly accurately. Always with yer intelligentsy thingies. Or do you actually come accross as a mundane Jak IRL? :P

Warbly Walrus please!