I treat IM just like my cell phone — it is for MY convenience, not yours. If I don’t want to answer it, I won’t. If you have to speak to voicemail and leave a message, deal with it. The problem is that people accept the instantaneous nature of modern electronics as their obligation to respond to any inquiry, essentially making us slave to the devices instead of master of a handy tool.

Sure, I can agree that once I start a conversation with you on IM, I do expect that you’ll respond in a timely manner, unless we’re making random commentary or you specifically sign off. My time is valuable, too, and I try to return the courtesy to others. But don’t expect me to be there or actually answer it when I am just because I’m online. I have other things in life than my IM contacts.

It’s all a matter of what you accept and allow, I figure. Control your life — not the other way around. :)