I was just remote desktoping with [lukecleland] and IMing with him at the same time. It was quite amusing to see him typing his instant message, reading it before he'd hit the send button.

I therefore propose an Instant Messaging Turbo mode where you agree to send and receive IM as the other user types it, complete with realtime backspaces and deletes, up until the Return key is pressed and your message is finalised. It certainly makes for faster conversations.
-- neilp, Feb 01 2006

Unix talk(1) http://www.brandx.n...ngtelnet/talk.shtml
[jutta, Feb 01 2006]

I'v heard that there acctualy was an old messaging program that did this, so I geuss it's baked.
-- my-nep, Feb 01 2006


Yeah, I've seen it running but think it was on the command line rather than as a dedicated IM client. It's a dim memory.

I do like the implementation [neilp] describes here and might be inclined to use an IM app more if it showed me the typing as it is occuring.
-- bristolz, Feb 01 2006


call this retromessaging, this is how the old programs worked. As I remeber that was how Icq worked although I think you could turn it off and hide your typos
-- redsimple, Feb 01 2006


Yes, but sometimes I'd get so annoyed with someone, I'd type, "I HATE YOU" or something of the sort and then not send it, instead saying, "How nice."

After all, insincerity is better than being uncivil.

Anyway, good idea.
-- soliloquy, Feb 01 2006


/instant instant messaging/ But I want it now!
-- bungston, Feb 01 2006


yep, icq used to have this feature.. still might, i'm not sure. so it's baked. (it was fun to use, though.)
-- carpeliam, Feb 01 2006


I knew I'd seen this before, this used to be ntalk on telnet. I do quite like the concept of mixing this in with 'normal' IM though, so you can finish the sentence and talk in a more transactional fashion when that's more appropriate (e.g. multi-user talking).

Are there any popular bits of IM software that have this feature ?
-- neilp, Feb 01 2006


Trillian's " 'So & so' is typing a message" feature reminds me how much time I spend staring at a panel with nothing incoming.
-- reensure, Feb 01 2006


would this make for more honesty in chat rooms?
-- po, Feb 01 2006


IMVU may do this. "There" (www.there.com) does this.
-- funp, Nov 27 2007


Well baked back in the days of Telnet chat
-- simonj, Nov 28 2007



random, halfbakery