Compulsive Away Message Checkers

The Facebook group that bears the name “Compulsive Away Message Checkers” has 310 members in it. For anyone not familiar with how away messages work, they are similar to an answering machine. If you put up an away message, anyone who sends you an instant message while you are not at your computer will automatically be sent your away message. People can also check to see what your away message says without actually sending you an instant message.

This is where the compulsive checkers come in. A new trend of coming up with catchy, creative, and informative away messages has taking over instant message users. With messages becoming so interesting, the practice of gliding your mouse down your buddy list and reading all the away messages of your friends has been a useful procrastination tool.

Could the use of an away message be considered a form of media? Surely it’s communicating information to large amounts of people. There is even an instant message screen name that any student can IM or check the away message for that lists all the parties on campus for any given week.