Is Chat a Problem?
I have a slight problem.
During my time on the internet, after I started to drift away from OYAN, I became more and more popularly accessible through chat.
Now, I love chat. Don't get me wrong. I love all my people that want to talk to me, that choose to talk to me, and that put up with me. I love the variety of conversations, the happy chatter, the many people I can talk to at once.
One of the most important things in life to me is my friends. Being there for people, listening and praying for them, trying to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. As far as I'm concerned, one of the greatest reasons the Lord put me on this planet is to bless the lives of others, and I really, really want to do that. Friends are more important to me than a lot of other things, and if I can put something selfish on one side to do that, then I will.
But recently, as I get more involved with the blogging side and also with other internet sites, (and my emails), I find the pressure to chat becoming more intense. I leave myself signed in for two reasons: a) people worry if they haven't seen me online in 24 hours (shows you how bad I am! Haha!) and b) I can't remember the various passwords I have for my four chat servers.
Another thing is that my emails suffer tremendously. As I became a chat freak, I deserted my emails for the easier option of on-hold, one liner chats and deserted the harder method of long, carefully written emails.
Some things that I've noticed during this is that I've lost a few of my friends along the way, because I don't take time out to organise myself online. Two, I've lost my habit for forming well written paragraphs and phrases. As I've been more online, I've dropped my blogging, my writing and my diary keeping because of my chats.
Sure, I'm not blaming it all on chat. Half of it is my inability to control my time on various sites.
And I'm very wary of the responses I'm going to get to this, because some of my very sensitive siblings could take it as a direct affront that I don't want to chat to them any more. Dears, this isn't for that. Honestly. I love chatting to you and if I could do it all day every day I would. But I actually need to consider whether chatting to you all day or whether writing my blog posts, getting more involved with Christian forums and starting to write again with interest is going to serve more than constantly being on chat.
See, another reason I don't want to leave chat is because I know that often over the course of a day or two, someone will really need to talk, and I don't like not being there when that happens.
Please, drop me an email and I'll do my best to respond. Honestly, I really want to hear your problems and pray for you, but I can't physically carry on sticking with chat all the time, especially as my lifestyle is in the process of changing drastically.
I've been attempting to balance out chat with blogging, etc, but I've had people storm off if they don't think I'm giving them enough attention, or go offline, or eventually withdraw themselves emotionally because I don't interact straight away.
Also, by the time I get to the point where the chats have slowed down, I'm too tired to even think and pray about a decent blog post or a good long email.
So I'm looking at the possibility of appearing offline on Skype, gMail, Facebook and MSN until I've finished all that I think needs to be done that day. Again, like I said, if you need me, PLEASE do not hesitate to email. And one other thing - please, please don't stop talking to me because I'm going to make this decision. When I come online (which yes, should be once a day), I want you all to treat me normally just like I hadn't been gone for most of it. Even if I'm only on for half an hour.
I'm sorry about all this...hope it doesn't upset too many of you.
Thank you. :)
God bless,
~Janie
During my time on the internet, after I started to drift away from OYAN, I became more and more popularly accessible through chat.
Now, I love chat. Don't get me wrong. I love all my people that want to talk to me, that choose to talk to me, and that put up with me. I love the variety of conversations, the happy chatter, the many people I can talk to at once.
One of the most important things in life to me is my friends. Being there for people, listening and praying for them, trying to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. As far as I'm concerned, one of the greatest reasons the Lord put me on this planet is to bless the lives of others, and I really, really want to do that. Friends are more important to me than a lot of other things, and if I can put something selfish on one side to do that, then I will.
But recently, as I get more involved with the blogging side and also with other internet sites, (and my emails), I find the pressure to chat becoming more intense. I leave myself signed in for two reasons: a) people worry if they haven't seen me online in 24 hours (shows you how bad I am! Haha!) and b) I can't remember the various passwords I have for my four chat servers.
Another thing is that my emails suffer tremendously. As I became a chat freak, I deserted my emails for the easier option of on-hold, one liner chats and deserted the harder method of long, carefully written emails.
Some things that I've noticed during this is that I've lost a few of my friends along the way, because I don't take time out to organise myself online. Two, I've lost my habit for forming well written paragraphs and phrases. As I've been more online, I've dropped my blogging, my writing and my diary keeping because of my chats.
Sure, I'm not blaming it all on chat. Half of it is my inability to control my time on various sites.
And I'm very wary of the responses I'm going to get to this, because some of my very sensitive siblings could take it as a direct affront that I don't want to chat to them any more. Dears, this isn't for that. Honestly. I love chatting to you and if I could do it all day every day I would. But I actually need to consider whether chatting to you all day or whether writing my blog posts, getting more involved with Christian forums and starting to write again with interest is going to serve more than constantly being on chat.
See, another reason I don't want to leave chat is because I know that often over the course of a day or two, someone will really need to talk, and I don't like not being there when that happens.
Please, drop me an email and I'll do my best to respond. Honestly, I really want to hear your problems and pray for you, but I can't physically carry on sticking with chat all the time, especially as my lifestyle is in the process of changing drastically.
I've been attempting to balance out chat with blogging, etc, but I've had people storm off if they don't think I'm giving them enough attention, or go offline, or eventually withdraw themselves emotionally because I don't interact straight away.
Also, by the time I get to the point where the chats have slowed down, I'm too tired to even think and pray about a decent blog post or a good long email.
So I'm looking at the possibility of appearing offline on Skype, gMail, Facebook and MSN until I've finished all that I think needs to be done that day. Again, like I said, if you need me, PLEASE do not hesitate to email. And one other thing - please, please don't stop talking to me because I'm going to make this decision. When I come online (which yes, should be once a day), I want you all to treat me normally just like I hadn't been gone for most of it. Even if I'm only on for half an hour.
I'm sorry about all this...hope it doesn't upset too many of you.
Thank you. :)
God bless,
~Janie
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)