Why Aren't You Online?

I can remember countless times in the past where I've gotten this phone call:

Them:Greg, you online?

Me:Yeah, why?

Them: Oh, didn't see you. Can you check again?

Perhaps I've baited most into this situation. To be honest I work from 15-20 hours a day, sometimes more. I'm probably the most likely person you can IM at any time and be sure to get a response. It's scary on most if not all levels.

I've often wondered just how much time people spend online. In the back of my mind, from the limited perspective of my buddy list, everyone's always online. This really reflects back on the social network I have in place -- full of geeks and other technophiles one technological generation from gimplants (gizmo implants).

I came across some interesting numbers, however, yesterday in an article that are worth repeating:

Instant messaging ranks with e-mail and Web surfing as one of the most popular activities on the Internet. Studies show that IM users are loyal and stay connected for hours at a time.

For users at home and at work in August, MSN Messenger led the pack with 28.6 million unique users, followed by the once-dominant AIM with 27.6 million, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Yahoo trailed at 18.1 million, the research firm said.

MSN users spent an hour and a half using IM every time they launched the software. AIM users spent five hours per session, and Yahoo Messenger users typically logged on for about two hours and 50 minutes, Nielsen/NetRatings said.

Source: News.com, "Can IM morph into 'instant music'?"

Two hours? That's it? I think I need to go outside more.