Some of my friends in google talk does not respond. When I say friends, its because google says so. We can’t add as non-friends or not-even-near-friends etc right? So lets just call them friends. They are colleagues from my previous company, current company, some are from college, or friends back from school. Oh and some are relatives as well, and some, well I don’t remember them.
Coming back to the post, some does not respond, may be they dont like me. Well I don’t respond to some as well, that’s mainly because I don’t remember who they are. 
and yet another reason is I get confused with the similar names and weird orkut names some use like (Manchester United won or India Wins Gold). To make things worse they have weirdest of email ids, like mine.
So here is one conversation with Friend A.
Me: heeyyy
Sent at 2:05 PM on Sunday
Me: hey? Are u there?
Sent at 2:35 PM on Sunday
And then there is no response.
Then come another friend B online.
Me: Hey man how are you?
Sent at 11:15 PM on Thursday
Me: Are you there?
Sent at 11:24 PM on Thursday
No response.
And then I see friend A online, I did not bother to renew my friendship again. So I carry on with blogging and chats with my REAL friends.
Then I get the following message via google talk.
Friend A : Hey heard you bought a car.
Me : Yes.
Friend A : congrats.
Me : Thanks, but the bank still owns it.
Friend A : hehe, hows your wife?
Me : Good. How are you?
Friend A : Good. Hey am going onsite this week. I am so lucky. I am so happy.
And then he continues to explain how many states, Unites States of America has and their population and how good his manager is and blah blah.
When this happened, I was wondering whether people wanted everyone to know their happiness or achievements? May be I am right, because I wrote a post when I bought a car.
But it did not end there.
Few days back I got another message from Friend B.
Friend B : hey man.
Me : heyy how are u?
Friend B : how is work?
Me : Not bad. Yours?
Friend B : Well I am going onsite.
Ha !
Now I get the logic. What say guys?
I think people want to share their happiness more than anything else. When there is nothing interesting happening in their life they tend to shy away from the rest of the world, when things are good they want everyone to know.
I don’t know about me, I tend to blog when things are good. When things are ugly, I blog. May be I blog too much. To Google ‘Friend’ A and B, happy journey!
23 responses so far ↓
Nita // August 18, 2008 at 5:27 pm |
your posts are always a nice easy read and entertaining too because they are slices of life. too many profound things you have said here…!!
Reema // August 18, 2008 at 6:02 pm |
U have hit quite a sensitive point. People including relatives tend to remember when they have some good news or something to brag about.
I have kept my gtalk list as small as possible.
Vijay // August 19, 2008 at 3:37 am |
Not responding to an IM is rude.. especially if you are in front of the machine when someone pings you.. worst case you tell people that you are busy…
Nikhil // August 19, 2008 at 5:12 am |
Hahahahaa!!! Not many people have come to terms with the fact that we can go invisible on gtalk… And when someone pings me in the invisible mode, I’m kinda flustered that an ‘offline’ friend is pinging me and I instinctively respond saying, “You’re offline and yet chatting?”
The conversation continues…
So, do that!
Go invisible on gtalk and ping people!
sakhi // August 19, 2008 at 5:18 am |
scorpiogenius // August 19, 2008 at 8:21 am |
hahahahaaaa nice one man!
Many a times I’ve been bewildered by the messages which ping up like ‘moloo deeeeee…!’ ‘hi chakkare’ and ‘hello sweety’ from many female ‘chatters’…Those are intended for my wife who sets her status online whenever she uses the laptop…Earlier I continued the chat for a while, masquerading as my better half..hehehehe..Dont misunderstand me, but usually the ladies well known to me too(as me n my wife were classmates). t’was amusing, especially when she comes back to hear abt it..:)
Nova // August 19, 2008 at 8:27 am |
hahahahhaha its weird man!!! sometimes my life is so boring and monotonous, there is nothing to talk about! Nothing at all…
I guess during such times people dont respond, or maybe are too busy. Only when their life is happening, do they respond!
BlueMist // August 19, 2008 at 9:03 am |
I have to confess I have envied those people who have gtalk list longer than mine. Now I know the secret behind them
. but then atleast I have smthing to talk about 
Very profound post. I guess you are lucky that people share their joys with you …its like smthing is better than nothing right ?
| Balu | // August 19, 2008 at 10:13 am |
Am a recluse these days why? I have no idea… so I am permanently on “invisible mode” which Nikhil just mentioned above! =P
My moods reflect on my blog, for example when I am worked up or depressed or stressed, I stay away from blogging.. just can’t get myself to blog and when I do, it’s short and mostly serious
And yeah abt people gtalk-ing when happy… may be they don’t do it to show off.. may be its cos they are not in a mental state to do so otherwise (personal experience)
But ya its also rude to totally ignore someone as Vijay mentioned
vishesh // August 19, 2008 at 11:48 am |
lol ya,everyone wants everyone to know about the good
lol ask my frnds on google talk 
and in real life 
Amit // August 19, 2008 at 4:56 pm |
Oh!!! I have gone through it. I didn’t know it was so common. Some friends who have not been in touch with you suddenly pop up one day. You are still thinking about the sudden change in heart when it all becomes so crystal clear. Oh! I am in Mexico. Just trying to settle down. Oh! I am in Florida. Just came here last week. I wonder at times, if they are sharing their happiness or are mocking me.
Now a days, people don’t become happy be sharing their happiness. They become happy by seeing how sad someone is about his own life after seeing them happy.
ish // August 19, 2008 at 5:43 pm |
Interesting logic, that. I’ve had weird conversations on Gtalk too. I have them everyday almost. Whenever somebody doesn’t respond, I don’t feel bad. I simply pass on the blame to my internet connection. Maybe the message never reached the other person. Works better than disappointment. But then there are friends with whom I talk all day. We’ll say hi, ask each other whats up. Both will reply nothing. After half an hour, we repeat the entire process again.
Xylene // August 20, 2008 at 9:14 am |
Nita,
Thank you so much Nita.
Reema,
I made the terrible mistake of including everyone in orkut to gtalk. Now I don’t even remember half of them. Removing them is a pain as well.
Vijay,
Yes, many dont use the ‘busy’ mode when they are actually busy. And rudely reply that ‘I am busy’ but its funny that when the telephone rings people attend them even if they are in a important meeting.
Nikhil.
That’s a good idea, that will give the impression that, ‘Hey you don’t ping me, I will ping you if I feel you are important”
Sakhi,
Haha, yes and I thought they dont like me.
Scorpio,
haha, thats nice way of having fun, if your wife also enjoys the humor.
I get confused by names as I mentioned in the post like Arun, there will be at least 6 Arun’s I know, some are juniors from college with whom I am not in touch with. And when an Arun comes online asking “how are you” I scratch my head and ask “how’s the weather there and hows work?”
and then try to ask questions like in Ashwamedam to figure out who the person is
Nova,
exactly, when its happening they are all over the place.
Bluemist,
Just tick the option in orkut to add your friends to gtalk and you will get a looong one, and useless aswell.
I consider lucky yes ! But i guess they would be just busy telling everyone online in their list the same thing. May be copy pasting it.
like
:”Hi how are you?”
:” Hows your wife/girlfriend/family (if you have one, two or all of these)”
: “I am going onsite”
Vishesh,
lol,yeah well sadness would be a little more personal I guess, May be because of that.
Amit,
EXACTLY !!! the same thing!!!
haha, I guess so like the onsite thing and the number of times you travel abroad is the happening thing for many. Some of my ‘friends’ have traveled to many places in Europe, US all in one year!!! so you can imagine how happy they will be to see the less privileged one online in gtalk chatting from Bangalore. hahahahahahaha.
Ish,
haha. for the people you see everyday, well you wont have anything to talk about.
Suda // August 20, 2008 at 11:48 am |
Hey Hi, I am not going onsite. heheheh
Koi muze onsite nahi bhejta.
I am dieing to ping you and say HEy I am going Onsite
Xylene // August 24, 2008 at 4:42 am |
Suda.,
I would say “Happy Journey”
Sandeep R // August 29, 2008 at 8:38 am |
People happYness with everyone, sorrows only with friends.
There are some who like to pretend busy, seldom are they so busy that they can’t respond to a friend!
onsite thing has become more of a status msg
Xylene // August 29, 2008 at 1:04 pm |
Sandeep,
Status message !! haha.
World Wide Web - (Not) Bringing People Closer « My Random Thoughts // November 13, 2008 at 6:03 am |
[...] Of course if they have something to brag about they would surely remember you as Xylene writes in his post. If you are that busy then don’t be online! Not with the green button at least! The height of [...]
Ashish // November 13, 2008 at 7:33 am |
Lovely! You have a great knack of saying things while taking dig at yourself equally well. None of us is any better than others but we still judge, but knowing that is still first step.
Dinesh Babu // November 13, 2008 at 4:08 pm |
Nice thoughts and it is the truth. People want to share interesting things only all the time and going by what you observed it is always the happy things that they want to share. Of course, when something sad or nothing is happening there is nothing to say. But a true friend needs no reason to just say a Hi!
amreekandesi // November 15, 2008 at 9:10 pm |
Nice post.
Though i doubt if going onsite is still seen as a big status symbol in the current world.
Jagan // November 16, 2008 at 5:52 pm |
And lollzz..!!
I have 210+ in my gtalk.
Thanks to orkut
This is nice experience.. hehe..
I too had similar things happening these days.
xylene // November 20, 2008 at 11:21 am |
Ashish,Dinesh,amreekandesi,jagan,
Yes, we do the samething, may be unknowingly, I make it a point to login as invisible, if am really busy and is not going to be online for a long time.
And yes I am one of them who share all the happiness with everyone around