Ofttimes when I am on an instant messenger and something important or urgent happens to come up, I have to sign off without any explanation given to whomever I'm chatting with at moment.

Almost all instant messengers have some type of 'status' that can be set while one is online, frequently with such default settings as "I'm Available" or "Out to Lunch", etc. Why not simply apply the same to when one logs off? A text string could be set that would appear as a status in the normal manner next to the logged off name - this would leave an explanation for your hasty departure to your friends, and could be set quickly enough to keep from further hindering you from whatever the urgent occasion is. Similarly to the online statuses, generally vague default messages ("Something Came Up") to more specific user-defined strings ("Lightning Storm Approaching") would be functional.
-- Caracal, Dec 03 2002

I was thinking of somthing similar for sms messages. If you don't have any credit then a message is sent back to the phone that has sent you the sms saying " whoever is unable to reply because of lack of credit"
-- Gulherme, Dec 03 2002


You mean "financially embarrassed"?
-- thumbwax, Dec 04 2002


Embarressed nooooo, "financially disadvantaged" would probably me more appropriate.
-- Gulherme, Dec 04 2002


//If you don't have any credit then a message is sent back//
Who pays for it?
-- angel, Dec 04 2002


SMS costs the company $0.00 anyway, so they probably let it through.
-- sadie, Dec 04 2002


I /believe/ some cell phones do that already, but I'm not entirely sure. At any rate, I don't really see how it applies..
-- Caracal, Dec 04 2002



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