Talking on the computer

[shadow_archmagi]

So, I'm watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and text-chatting with a few people on Steam.

Then my dad sits down behind me (there is a large recliner not far from my computer, it's where he always sits whether or not I'm there) and starts talking to me. Nothing important, just idle "So how about that weather then I think it'll rain I like the rain it's kinda nice but then it clogs up the gutters which is always a pain don't you just hate the world I can't wait until space travel" sort of chatter.

This is something both parents do; they don't see the computer as a barrier to starting random conversations. They wouldn't do it if I were watching TV, and they'd be quite upset if I did it while *they* were watching TV, but the computer gets no such respect.

Is this a source of irritation to everyone else?

[Haruki-kun]

On occasion, yeah. People seem to think communication via the internet is in no way a real conversation with real people.

[Vmag]

When I was wasting the best of my high school years in front of the computer, yeah. Family and friends taking me away from people who would disappear within a couple of years was a pretty big irritant.

After a few years, when the glitz and glam of the Internet died with all the best webcomics, Internet people lost their charm. If I'm on the computer, as often as that is, and someone's talking to me, I'm going to respond to them and make the effort to get a good discussion going. Heck, I'll even do it while continuing online.

It's only basic human courtesy.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Well, in a sense they're right. I mean the conversation usually isn't all that real time compared to real life. You can stop typing for 5 seconds to answer someone and it's not that hard to have two different conversations going. It's way less annoying than if you, for example, were talking on the phone and people were bothering you.

I personally don't mind it unless I'm talking to something like five people or about something that's actually important (like what Ashley is totally going to wear to the prom :smalleek:).

[Dallas-Dakota]

Headphones, if you want to be left alone, headphones are your answer.

[shadow_archmagi]

Headphones, if you want to be left alone, headphones are your answer.

Was wearing them.

If I don't respond, they just talk louder to make sure I hear.





Well, in a sense they're right. I mean the conversation usually isn't all that real time compared to real life. You can stop typing for 5 seconds to answer someone and it's not that hard to have two different conversations going. It's way less annoying than if you, for example, were talking on the phone and people were bothering you.



Typing is pretty easy to drop, yeah. It just gets irritating the fifth time I have to pause Hulu though. And it's a bit more than five seconds. (Dad is a college professor and spends 5+ hours a day lecturing, so he knows how to be long-winded. So yeah.) Also, they *will* happily interrupt voice chat conversations, even commenting on them and laughing.



When I was wasting the best of my high school years in front of the computer, yeah. Family and friends taking me away from people who would disappear within a couple of years was a pretty big irritant.


Not, of course, to consider the possibility that perhaps the people on the internet *are* the family and friends? My sister is four hours away, my DM eight, my LAN crew has numbers ranging from .2 to 3 hours away. Between the ones who've graduated, the ones who've moved away, the internet is rather required for staying in touch. Not to mention that even if my buddy lived next door, if I saw him on Steam, I'd still probably send a few IMs.

If anyone is going to do any disappearing in a couple years, it'll be the people at the highschool, what with them not going to the same college and all.



If I'm on the computer, as often as that is, and someone's talking to me, I'm going to respond to them and make the effort to get a good discussion going. Heck, I'll even do it while continuing online.

It's only basic human courtesy.


Surely some part of basic human courtesy is asking "Is this person busy? Do I ultimately have anything to say?"

[Trai]

I get extremely irritated when my family does this (perks to being in college now! my roommates and I don't bother each other as we work). My sister (older) is the biggest offender.

[Mauve Shirt]

It's only a problem to me if I'm watching a video or wearing headphones.

[Mando Knight]

If what I'm doing doesn't have something that I'm actively trying to listen to, I can usually pull off a vocal conversation while doing something else. Just don't expect me to be able to read/use body language comprehensively, as I'm probably focusing my eyes and hands on whatever else I'm doing.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Headphones, if you want to be left alone, headphones are your answer.

That never works for me. No matter what I'm listening to, be it a 10 second clip or a 27 minute epic short movie, my mom, dad, or brother always manage to interrupt me.

[BritishBill]

my computer is in my room so i dont have to worry bout this :smallbiggrin:

[Vmag]

Surely some part of basic human courtesy is asking "Is this person busy? Do I ultimately have anything to say?"

I guess they've deemed it "yes". Now, if there's a person in the room trying to communicate with you, those fiendish dogs, then either they live there or they're guests.

The next step in human courtesy: Can you make the effort of at least seeing what they want first, and explaining that you're busy? People are people, and would normally let you be for legit reasons :smallwink:

[Lioness]

This really annoys me. Dad does it all the time, when I have no interest in his conversation, because usually its 'hey, I found a new job that you could work towards that is in the science/maths field and could earn you lots of money. It's much better than being a teacher!'

Get. Lost.

Then he also believes that the computer is public domain, so if I'm having a conversation with someone that I don't want read, and my siblings are staring over my shoulder, I am not allowed to ask them politely to go away, and it is well within their basic rights to read my conversation. If it was like a phone, I'd go elsewhere, but I can't exactly pick it up and move it!

[Eldan]

Headphones, if you want to be left alone, headphones are your answer.

Didn't work for me. So I expanded: very large headphones with isolation. Then I put in two foam earplugs below them and turn up the sound. I hear absolutely nothing.

[Coidzor]

Eh, I've only ever been around people on the computer when it's been, well, informal and we've been interacting anyway even if the person on the computer's attention is split.

Then again, I've mostly been friends and lovers with fairly sociable people who only become put off if I'm distracting them from something important enough that they ask for some peace while they work on X of import.

I mean, other than something like an indepth project or when someone's on a roll while writing a paper, I've never really encountered someone who isn't perfectly capable of carrying on some level of conversation.

[shadow_archmagi]

Then he also believes that the computer is public domain, so if I'm having a conversation with someone that I don't want read, and my siblings are staring over my shoulder, I am not allowed to ask them politely to go away, and it is well within their basic rights to read my conversation. If it was like a phone, I'd go elsewhere, but I can't exactly pick it up and move it!

My friend's mother apparently used her "WATCH WHAT YOUR CHILDREN DO ONLINE" software to get into his facebook account and read his entire outbox, and then grounded him for complaining about her six months ago.

(Six months ago his idiot brother who is his polar opposite had gotten too frustrated while playing xbox and hurled a water bottle into the TV, shattering it. Mother decided this meant no xbox for anyone for six months. )



Maybe they decided that what they had to say really was important? Maybe you should at least find out what they have to say?


I do find out what they have to say! I've tried ignoring them and it doesn't work so yeah, I pause my movie/disconnect from my game/turn off voicechat and talk to them. It is not at all uncommon for the topic to start on something like "The Weather" and then stay there for ten minutes before moving on to "Who is ruining America these days" (having lived in this house for some time, I'm quite familiar with his views on politics and repeating them doesn't really help anyone) and at the end of it I'm not really sure why I had to stop what I was doing for twenty minutes.

[Archonic Energy]

Was wearing them.

If I don't respond, they just talk louder to make sure I hear.


get better headphones!

i've had my flatmate pounding at my door but couldn't hear her because i had my noise canceling headphones on...

it wasn't till i "felt" the vibrations from the door i responded...


My friend's mother apparently used her "WATCH WHAT YOUR CHILDREN DO ONLINE" software to get into his facebook account and read his entire outbox, and then grounded him for complaining about her six months ago.


that's just wrong... i've been "annoyed" about that, it's a show of dis-trust & an invasion of his privacy.

[Totally Guy]

i've had my flatmate pounding at my door but couldn't hear her because i had my noise canceling headphones on...

it wasn't till i "felt" the vibrations from the door i responded...


Let me guess. They weren't plugged in and they were knocking to complain about the noise?:smalltongue: