I have noticed that more and more people are now using the invisible mode of instant messaging. This is called ‘eye’ in AOL Instant Messenger, I believe.

What’s the point? It is utter selfishness that you become invisible to others, but others are visible to you. It goes against the whole utility of instant messaging, which is to be able to quickly check with friends and family (and now, co-workers) about a point or two and then go back to usual business.

I understand that nowadays, those buddy lists are getting longer and longer, and there is ALWAYS someone who wants to talk to you, but I think if people seriously follow the etiquette and understand that if someone’s status is ‘busy’ or ‘do not disturb’ then they should not be disturbed, then I think it won’t be too distracting.

But making oneself invisible will ultimately lead to the demise of instant messaging. If a lot of people are becoming invisible, I will become invisible too. One day, no one will be visible to anyone else, and there won’t be anyone to chat with.

Is that what we aimed for, with this free chat medium? Or was it more presence-awareness and an increased ability to communicate inexpensively across the globe?

I say, disable to invisible feature and make the ‘do not disturb’ feature such that messages to someone with such a status will bounce back to the sender with the message ‘I told you I am busy, don’t disturb me’. What say?