Are you a texter or a caller?

[Redway]

As it says in the title.

[Zizu]

Texts

I probably make fewer than 10 phone calls each Year


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[Josy]

Text.

I will literally ignore someone phoning then text them and ask "you phone me there?" :idc:

[Kate!]

Text.

I will literally ignore someone phoning then text them and ask "you phone me there?" :idc:

Same, I decline calls on most occasions.

[Redway]

Same, I decline calls on most occasions.

Ditto (I’ve always been more of a writer than a talker). It’s okay with calls that are truly important (in which case you’ve got no choice) but generally I’d rather just text, and if the other person wants to send voice-notes on WhatsApp on their side that’s absolutely fine (I’m one of those people who actually love long voice-notes). But unless it’s important or unavoidable (or I’m just randomly in the mood, which doesn’t happen very often) I won’t call unless I’m just buzzing them to get their attention (and then over to WhatsApp/S.M.S. we go).

[thesheriff443]

I’m a confident person so I will answer calls and reply to messages on all platforms

[Redway]

I’m a confident person so I will answer calls and reply to messages on all platforms

That’s fine.

[Kate!]

I'm fairly confident but I just converse much better in writing, I cam express myself far more. I enjoy writing, so it flows much better, I'm not the best talker, I'm a better listener.

[Redway]

I'm fairly confident but I just converse much better in writing, I cam express myself far more. I enjoy writing, so it flows much better, I'm not the best talker, I'm a better listener.

Ditto. There’s a difference between being socially on the go as your default-state and being very internally confident in who you are and having that security in yourself and your value but being a bit more conserved about your energy-flow when it comes to preferential communication online. It’s not really a question of confidence. I’m a decent talker but writing’s more comfortable and flowing for me so if I can get away with sending a text or e.-mail instead of calling, I’ll do that.

[Kate!]

Ditto. There’s a difference between being socially on the go as your default-state and being very internally confident in who you are and having that security in yourself and your value but being a bit more conserved about your energy-flow when it comes to preferential communication online. It’s not really a question of confidence. I’m a decent talker but writing’s more comfortable and flowing for me so if I can get away with sending a text or e.-mail instead of calling, I’ll do that.

You're very good at writing Sam xx

[Redway]

You're very good at writing Sam xx

I appreciate it, Kate. People with a more reserved internal focus are sometimes assumed to be lacking in a certain kind of self-confidence but all these things are naive misconceptions. If anything it’s that deeper confidence in yourself that makes you a bit more discriminating about how and where you choose to get your points across and there’s nothing wrong with that. The world needs good public speakers and good writers alike, and everyone and everything in the middle. It’s just part of life.

You ain’t half-bad at writing yourself, Kate. Honestly.

[Kate!]

I appreciate it, Kate. People with a more reserved internal focus are sometimes assumed to be lacking in a certain kind of self-confidence but all these things are naive misconceptions. If anything it’s that deeper confidence in yourself that makes you a bit more discriminating about how and where you choose to get your points across and there’s nothing wrong with that. The world needs good public speakers and good writers alike, and everyone and everything in the middle. It’s just part of life.

You ain’t half-bad at writing yourself, Kate. Honestly.

Thank you. I've always been far better at English than most subjects expecially Maths and Science. I love reading too.

[Redway]

Thank you. I've always been far better at English than most subjects expecially Maths and Science. I love reading too.

I know exactly the feeling. To be fair I was quite good at maths and I do enjoy the essence of it but English was always my naturally best subject at school by far. People who knew me from my school just assume I studied something language-related at uni because of those memories of me being a walking-dictionary bookworm. Always been very, very, very good at it (I am kinda going to have to blow my own trumpet on that one).

[Swan]

Caller, hate texting.

[Quantum Boy]

Text generally speaking but as I've progressed in the Teams-era of work I've started to see the benefit of a Teams call over emailing back and forth. If it's just to convey a burst of info I still prefer an email or teams message, but if it's something that needs input from both sides, a 10 minute call can cover it when it would take far longer to hash out over emails or messages.

[Oliver_W]

Text generally speaking but as I've progressed in the Teams-era of work I've started to see the benefit of a Teams call over emailing back and forth. If it's just to convey a burst of info I still prefer an email or teams message, but if it's something that needs input from both sides, a 10 minute call can cover it when it would take far longer to hash out over emails or messages.
And in a social/friends context, that'd translate to:
If one just wanted to make or confirm plans, or ask how a somewhat trivial medical appointment went or an interview or whatever, text-based communications are fine; but for a proper conversation or catch up, it's best to be a call or video chat.

[Redway]

And in a social/friends context, that'd translate to:
If one just wanted to make or confirm plans, or ask how a somewhat trivial medical appointment went or an interview or whatever, text-based communications are fine; but for a proper conversation or catch up, it's best to be a call or video chat.

It depends who you are. Some people (myself included) can write until the end of time, if Jesus tarries. If it’s not face-to-face I just prefer texting or long voice notes.

[AnnieK]

I spend a lot of my time during the day in the office on the phone / Teams calls etc so when I get home I'm quite often "talked out" so can't be arsed with a long phone conversation when a text will do.

I prefer to pick up the phone at work - especially when delivering bad or disappointing news. I find it easier than sending an email and then pressing send and receive till I get a response where someone is going to kick off at me. I find people are less likely to respond in a hostile manner if I am on the other end of the phone

[Crimson Dynamo]

id rather not do either

[Quantum Boy]

I spend a lot of my time during the day in the office on the phone / Teams calls etc so when I get home I'm quite often "talked out" so can't be arsed with a long phone conversation when a text will do.

I prefer to pick up the phone at work - especially when delivering bad or disappointing news. I find it easier than sending an email and then pressing send and receive till I get a response where someone is going to kick off at me. I find people are less likely to respond in a hostile manner if I am on the other end of the phone

Yeah and I also find that some people (older generations, especially) aren't always good at communicating tone in text form. Anyone who grew up doing it (so the text message/MSN messenger generation and beyond) tends to be pretty proficient at it but people in their 50's and beyond it can be awful... sometimes people seem really pissed off/fed up in their messages and emails but if you call and speak to them in person they're actually fine :joker:.

Though the demographic of my work has actually changed quite a bit in the 4 years I've been there. I was one of the youngest staff when I started (and I wasn't even that young - 33) but now about half of the team is in the 25 - 35 age bracket, with a lot of the older senior team starting to semi-retire and take a step back... so Teams has seen increasing numbers of emojis, gifs and memes being rolled out.

[Niamh.]

Both really, my friends usually whatsapp. Gav and the kids both throughout the day

[Redway]

Yeah and I also find that some people (older generations, especially) aren't always good at communicating tone in text form. Anyone who grew up doing it (so the text message/MSN messenger generation and beyond) tends to be pretty proficient at it but people in their 50's and beyond it can be awful... sometimes people seem really pissed off/fed up in their messages and emails but if you call and speak to them in person they're actually fine :joker:.

Though the demographic of my work has actually changed quite a bit in the 4 years I've been there. I was one of the youngest staff when I started (and I wasn't even that young - 33) but now about half of the team is in the 25 - 35 age bracket, with a lot of the older senior team starting to semi-retire and take a step back... so Teams has seen increasing numbers of emojis, gifs and memes being rolled out.

MSN was peak life from 2005 to 2010. Then it got to a point where people logged out one day and never logged back in. MSN’s been deleted now anyway so y’know. All those juicy message-thread memories we’ll never get back.

[Oliver_W]

but now about half of the team is in the 25 - 35 age bracket, with a lot of the older senior team starting to semi-retire and take a step back... so Teams has seen increasing numbers of emojis, gifs and memes being rolled out.

I fall quite centrally into that age range, and I've always found them cringey af.

Maybe disable the embedding of images?

[Redway]

I fall quite centrally into that age range, and I've always found them cringey af.

Maybe disable the embedding of images?

Pardon me, like, but since when are you only 32? Are you not in your early 40s? (No offence.)

[Oliver_W]

Pardon me, like, but since when are you only 32? Are you not in your early 40s? (No offence.)

Lol no! What gave you that idea?

[Redway]

Lol no! What gave you that idea?

So you’re telling us that you’re essentially a 1990 kid?

Yeah, alright.

[Oliver_W]

So you’re telling us that you’re essentially a 1990 kid?

Yeah, alright.

?

[Redway]

?

So how old are you?

[Niamh.]

Why don't you believe him Redway, that's the age I always thought Oliver was :laugh: Also I was 12 in 1990, it's not that long ago :idc:

[Redway]

“Yeah, alright” is a bit of MSN slang from circa 2008 that found its way into casual speech at one point, by the way, Ollie. It’s just ‘sarcasm of disbelief’ but I was kind of half-joking anyway.

[Oliver_W]

So how old are you?

Not in my early forties :joker: I'm not sure where you got that impression. I'm in my early thirties!

[Redway]

Why don't believe him Redway, that's age I always thought Oliver was :laugh: Also I was 12 in 1990, it's not long ago :idc:

I genuinely just thought he was late 30s/40-ish. Couldn’t tell you how or why but he just seems … older.

[Redway]

Not in my early forties :joker: I'm not sure where you got that impression. I'm in my early thirties!

Aww. My bad. I *severely* misjudged.

[Oliver_W]

I genuinely just thought he was late 30s/40-ish. Couldn’t tell you how or why but he just seems … older.

Aww. My bad. I *severely* misjudged.

Must be my worldly cynicism and maturity.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Pardon me, like, but since when are you only 32? Are you not in your early 40s? (No offence.)

that is the kind of thing my pal Ed would say to random women in the office and then be puzzled when they never spoke to him again

:joker:

[Quantum Boy]

I actually thought Oliver was younger but I think that's because I stalled somewhere around 2019 and forgot that people age.

[Redway]

Must be my worldly cynicism and maturity.

Your trans cynicism is definitely a little atypical for a white man in his early 30s, it has to be said.

[Oliver_W]

Your trans cynicism is definitely a little atypical for a white man in his early 30s, it has to be said.

Fair, especially when throwing gay into the mix.

[Quantum Boy]

Your trans cynicism is definitely a little atypical for a white man in his early 30s, it has to be said.

Oliver is one of them self-loathing gays who rejects The Community out of toxic hate and fear etc.

[Redway]

Fair, especially when throwing gay into the mix.

You said it, not me. But yeah, maybe. If we’re going to bite the bullet and just be really honest.

[Oliver_W]

Oliver is one of them self-loathing gays who rejects The Community out of toxic hate and fear etc.

:joker: