Awkward silences permeate conversations IRL (in real life). I propose to allow silence, or rather the lack of conversation, to be expressed in an IM application.

This view simply spaces the text vertically according to how long it has been between the messages. It could easily be done by inserting a line feed every second or so.

Another type of view that would benefit from chronological-ification would be a "ticker" style window. Messages continually scroll to the left of one's screen, like a stock ticker.

If nothing else, it would more easily identify where the awkward pauses are in an IM conversation.
-- Acme, Apr 13 2006

Maybe an apt Smiley will do the trick better. Animated perhaps
-- Zen, Apr 13 2006


One of the things I like most about instant messaging is that I can ask someone a low-priority question, and expect an answer in anywhere between 5 seconds and 3 days. With email, the response window seems to be between 2 minutes a nd 1 day. With telephony, 400-10000 milliseconds. Wide windows are good!

This could work only if it was exposed to all users in the conversion. It would not be appropriate if it is a user setting that one person turns on, and the other side of the conversation does not know about it.
-- ed, Apr 13 2006


During the chat itself, I'm not sure the advantages would outweigh the disadvantage of having to scroll further back if you want to re-read previous messages. But as a way of viewing chat histories, yep, it would be good.
-- imaginality, Apr 14 2006


"..."
-- nick_n_uit, Apr 16 2006


I just have an accepted protocol, whereby after a while the other person says 'so', and I say 'anyway', and we lapse back into silence.
-- dbmag9, Apr 16 2006


who spiked my drink?

oh thank you, I really needed to get away...
-- po, Apr 16 2006


many IM programs time-stamp all messages.
-- sninctown, Apr 16 2006



random, halfbakery