[ SECRET POST #3651 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3651 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 52 secrets from Secret Submission Post #522.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

I'm writing a thing that's set in 2005. Two college-age guys are having a conversation while apart for the summer. Are they doing this on IM on their computers, or are they texting?

My first instinct is IM, because that's what I would have been using at the time. But I didn't get a cell phone until 2007, and it wasn't very good for texting. The characters would have cells, but would they have been using them to carry on a somewhat long conversation like we do with smartphones nowadays?

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

email?

IM sounds more plausible to me out of the two.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

DA

No way, if we're assuming average college age guy who is not a geek or a gamer. The average person uses Facebook messenger and probably the app version at that.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

I hit post too quickly. I meant to say, "The average person uses Facebook messenger and probably the app version at that. So it's more likely that back in 2005 they were using something through FB or writing on each other's walls."

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

OP- it's much too private a conversation to have publicly on each other's walls: one character is out to his friend and some family, but not many others, so part of their conversation is about that.

I used Yahoo messanger/AIM all the time in 2005, but my family were always a bit behind technologically and I'm 6 years younger than the characters then.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

Probably texting on phones, unless they're heavy computer users or gamers or something like that.

If they're in different countries, computers are more likely.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

I know I and my group of friends at the time used IM from about 2003-2006 and texted from about 2005-2008, so it could go either way if it's set in my particular memory of 2005. And yes, the text conversations were long -- we were mainly each other's depression support group in that time.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

SA: Oh, I missed the "college-age" part. Those were middle and high school years for most of us, so I can't vouch for what college people were doing.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

IM imo

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[herpymcderp]

IM, definitely.

Texting was a thing, but at that point in time you were still paying per SMS message unless you had a really expensive cell phone plan. Unless they're very rich college students, they're definitely not going to have an $80/month plan.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

IM is more plausible, IMO.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

IM. Probably AIM.

In 2005, I was in early high school. I was a bit of a nerd, but even so, lots of my friends communicated on AIM. That, or through Xanga or Livejournal.

I think I got my first cell phone in like 2006, though I suppose a college age guy would feasibly have one. But texting then was slower and clunkier, and messages couldn't be very long.

They MIGHT have had Facebook, but more likely not, in 2005.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[shortysc22]

Two college age guys will generally not have long conversations unless they are in person.

I was a freshmen in college in 2005 and texting was absolutely not a thing everyone had. I think the razr came out in 2006/2007? IM would be be an acceptable option for sure, but it depends on what they are talking about.

The issue with IMs might be that they would have to both be around, away messages were a thing then and so you'd get those. Perhaps they would use email too?

Feel free to ask more questions.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

Two college age guys will generally not have long conversations unless they are in person.

Well I did consider this, but it's fiction and there's no story if they don't talk to each other! I know they wouldn't talk on the phone about it.

Context: One character is 21, a senior that fall; the other guy is 20, a year behind. They both go to college on the West Coast, and the senior guy was casually dating the junior's (male) roommate.

As it's currently written, he's gotten an away message from the sometimes-boyfriend and talks to his friend instead as he is online (despite their living on opposite coasts). But then I second-guessed the IM aspect and wondered whether they'd be texting instead, so here I am asking.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[shortysc22]

Okay, this makes complete sense. Again, it depends on the personality of the guys, but this scenario works. I used away messages a lot then but it all depends on how you work it in to the story, I think this will fit well!

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[herpymcderp]

Uhhhhhhh, disagree.

I'm past college age but I text my bros regularly just to talk, share memes, send cool videos of stuff on the internet... that kind of thing.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[shortysc22]

But in 2005, texting wasn't a thing like that.

Now is different.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[diet_poison]

I don't think that's really true. Sounds like stereotype. Reality depends on the person.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

Razr was 2005 (my first phone). But yeah, texting wasn't for everyone because text plans were hella expensive unless you were lucky enough to be on your family's plan.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[sachiko_san]

I am doubtful about a long conversation on a cell phone from 2005, considering we still only had numberpads and the only thing out with a full keyboard was a Blackberry. So it's more likely they'd be IMing.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[diet_poison]

Another vote for IM.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[(Anonymous)]

I got my first cell phone in '04 or '05. It was a flip phone, which I think were pretty much the standard. To text, you had to repeatedly hit the number corresponding to the letter, For example if you wanted to type the letter C, you'd have to type 1 three times (A-B-C). Which was find for short, informational texts. (Meet me at 3) but really annoying for anything longer.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[soldatsasha]

IM. Probably AIM. ime texting was seen as kind of a girly thing to do still.

I'm exactly the age you're looking for.

[chardmonster]

I graduated from high school in 2004 and was in college in 2005.

We were using an instant messenger account, probably AIM but potentially Yahoo Messenger, MSN, or one of a number of third party clients that attempted to let you use all three. I was a nerd, but instant messenger had really broad usage. A college student might not have had unlimited texting, so instant messenger was really important. I know I got in trouble because I had a friend who insisted on texting, I was a pushover, and my Dad got the 15-cent-a-text bill.

I believe an anon suggested that people would be using Facebook? No way. Facebook at that point only existed on a few college campuses and didn't have nearly the impact it does now. We did have Myspace, but if I recall correctly messaging on that was pretty rudimentary compared to IMs, and they often had a link to your IM account instead.

Re: IM or texting- 2005

[mimi-sardinia.livejournal.com]

I am trying to recall what I was doing back in '05, but first off I would say go with IM on their computers. I know I have been using IM almost since I first got online, but I don't think text messages were nearly as big in '05 as they have become. Use texts as a quick brief message, maybe one saying they need to discuss something later, when they're both online, on IM.