1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

POLL: How about random strangers on ICQ or other messengers?

Discussion in 'Whatnots' started by chevalier, Jun 30, 2004.

  1. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2002
    Messages:
    16,815
    Media:
    11
    Likes Received:
    58
    Gender:
    Male
    The fact that people use instant messengers like a dating chatroom used to piss me off majorly. However, I got used to that after some time as some of them actually bothered to check your age before asking it :rolleyes: The smartest ones would even check your city and compare it with theirs... ;)

    Oh well, some of them were even amiable and fun to talk to. Others, unfortunately, would pepper your IM screen with spelling erros, flood with incessant streams of words undefiled by punctuation, or grace every single line with an abundance of exclamation or question marks.

    Damn how I hate to see more than one question or exclamation mark in one place. I hate it. Especially with exclamation marks, one is already too much in most cases :rolleyes:

    I considered removing my data from databases and leaving it a bare number. However, that wasn't a good idea. Many people would show up who would otherwise have realised earlier that perhaps I wasn't made for them and have moved on to greener pastures. Data attracts people who want to talk with a specific category of people, but at least some other ones will abstain from bothering you... At least they won't show up in an insta-popup always-on-top window asking your gender. Laetentur Caeli :heh:

    Still, all this was not enough. Occasionally, some people are not interested in flirting (after all, one needs to practice flirting skills and one may as well do that with strangers, and through IM as well) or chilling out. Nay. Some will actually be bent on creating a lifelong friendship with you or exchanging your philosophical outlooks on the very sense of there being a universe, damn it. Please... :sosad:

    What is the worst horror, though?

    The worst horror of it all when the mysterious stranger who has a great current need to chat with me on no particular subject is male. That's too much, even for my thoroughly patient and agreeable nature :toofar:

    Poll Information
    This poll contains 4 question(s). 27 user(s) have voted.
    You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

    Poll Results: How about random strangers on ICQ or other messengers? (27 votes.)

    Do you hate it when strangers pick you at random or by personal data on IMs? (Choose 1)
    * Yes - 59% (16)
    * No - 41% (11)

    Do you ever pick complete strangers at random or by personal data on IMs? (Choose 1)
    * Yes - 7% (2)
    * No - 93% (25)

    Do you hate it when strangers of your own gender are bothering you? (Choose 1)
    * Yes - 63% (17)
    * No - 37% (10)

    Do you ever pick random complete strangers of your gender to talk to on IMs? (Choose 1)
    * Yes - 4% (1)
    * No - 96% (26)
     
  2. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    May 29, 2003
    Messages:
    13,354
    Likes Received:
    99
    I have never had any of what you describe happen to me. I'm not sure what sort of databases you must be signed up to . . . . . .
     
  3. Blog Gems: 23/31
    Latest gem: Black Opal


    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Messages:
    1,634
    Likes Received:
    1
    I don't mind strangers talking to me at all, as long as they don't swear or insult me. In fact the ones that have spoken to me were all very nice. Actually one recent person searched by same high school and found me, and we had a decent discussion about how our high school has changed since I graduated.

    No, I have never seeked out other strangers to talk to.

    The worst horror would be advertising. They say hi, and supply some freaky link (usually porn, but some are ads for job sites or whatnot) which I never click... EVER. I just add them all to the ignore list and forget about them.
     
  4. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2000
    Messages:
    23,653
    Media:
    494
    Likes Received:
    570
    Gender:
    Male
    Every IM client has many options you can use to filter how much attention (if any) you want to get from random strangers. So I really don't see what the problem is. If you're logged on as "free for chat" and have no "approve before being able to talk to me" option on, then it's your own fault you're getting the attention you don't want. It's all in the settings.
     
  5. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2002
    Messages:
    16,815
    Media:
    11
    Likes Received:
    58
    Gender:
    Male
    Not if you actually need the authorisation demand disabled for various people who contact you on business and stuff. And, anyway, some of them add you to their contact list and ask authorisation straight away, as if they were your long lost friends :rolleyes:

    And I don't have free for chat status, you can be sure of that :D
     
  6. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2000
    Messages:
    10,416
    Media:
    40
    Likes Received:
    232
    Gender:
    Male
    As soon as I install it, I immediately set my client to ignore anyone not on my list :)

    I don't need random chat from bozos :)
     
  7. Wordplay Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2002
    Messages:
    3,453
    Likes Received:
    1
    Never really got to use ICQ, AIM, or similars, but when I gave them a try, I got -too- a few idle calls. (E.g: some Korean woman asking how it is in Finland.) It becomes a problem when they start mocking it, or after "Hi! Nice to meet you! Oh... er... BYE!" -that makes me feel pretty much insulted.
     
  8. Wiegraf Folles Gems: 6/31
    Latest gem: Jasper


    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2004
    Messages:
    153
    Likes Received:
    0
    What I hate is that if you go into any of the AIM chatrooms (i don't normally go into them either, but i was bored one time) and despite whatever the chatroom is for (videogames, whatever), usually about 75% of the people want to cyber, or all they type is the URL for porn sites
     
  9. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2003
    Messages:
    6,815
    Media:
    6
    Likes Received:
    336
    [​IMG] I have no idea whatsoever what this topic is about. :(
     
  10. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

    Joined:
    May 29, 2003
    Messages:
    13,354
    Likes Received:
    99
    You and me both, Splunge..... :confused:
     
  11. Stefanina Gems: 18/31
    Latest gem: Horn Coral


    Veteran

    Joined:
    May 28, 2002
    Messages:
    1,091
    Media:
    5
    Likes Received:
    5
    Gender:
    Female
    Genarally, when people look at my profile, they figure out I'm an oddball. So, most people that contact me are other SCAdians or My Little Pony collectors, so there's common interest to begin with.
    Generally, when I get a random contact that does does the "hi, how are you" etc, I say first off that I'm not interested in dating or sex. That weeds out most. The rest I just send my picture to. I'm no fashion model, and so far, that's chased off the rest... :rolleyes: nothing like shattering their illusions...
     
  12. Pac man Gems: 25/31
    Latest gem: Moonbar


    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2002
    Messages:
    2,119
    Likes Received:
    1
    That's exactly why i never bother with chatrooms, it's such a waste of time. I've been in a few occasionally, and i actually felt dumber afterwards. :D
     
  13. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2000
    Messages:
    23,653
    Media:
    494
    Likes Received:
    570
    Gender:
    Male
    [​IMG] We're talking about instant messaging (IM) clients, small programs which primarily allow you to send text messages back and forth to other people with the same client. Very useful for instant communication online. Everyone on the SP team, for example, uses ICQ by default. But since there now exist clients which support multiple IM protocols (every IM program basically uses a different one), it's much easier to work with people using different IM programs as well. I use Miranda now, which is completely free, unlike most other clients, which usually display some form of advertising. But it also supports dozens of other protocols apart from ICQ, and is extensively customizable.

    Proper chatrooms are another issue altogether. While the IM clients allow for crude chatrooms where multiple people can communicate, you'll find the real deal on IRC (Internet-relay chat) networks. The SP chatrooms are on one such network.
     
  14. SleepleSS Gems: 24/31
    Latest gem: Water Opal


    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2002
    Messages:
    1,991
    Likes Received:
    0
    [​IMG] I sometimes add a intresting sounding e-mail adress to my msn messenger, one that I see in a forward mail. I hope be doing this not receiving any forwards anymore AND find some nice people to talk to.

    The last time I did this was about 2 years ago I think I did grow up a bit after that one ;)
     
  15. Deathmage

    Deathmage Arrr! Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2001
    Messages:
    1,893
    Media:
    1
    Likes Received:
    31
    Gender:
    Male
    Generally, I don't add people into my MSN unless I know who they are. However, there are a LOT of random people at school, or are associates of my associates, so basically people I don't or hardly know.

    They tend to be 14-year old girls who lol at everything I say and with horrible spelling. Some are slightly tolerable, though, and some are mildly humorous.

    And don't get me started on one of those random conversations where nobody knows who everyone else is. It's very annoying.
     
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.