I hate talking to answering machines

I hate talking to answering machines. The fundamental reason is probably that I love talking with people and get nothing out of talking to a machine, and the machine is swapped in at the last instant. That notwithstanding, answering machines themselves present frustrations. Messages left are one-dimensional and non-interactive. Expressivity suffers. You generally have no insight whatever into the receiver's environment or psychological state, so no allowances can be made. You end up saying "uh" a lot and revising sentences mid-way. And when you run out of content, you get to clumsy self-conscious closings and hit the point where you try to quit while you're ahead and just hang up.

Most of the time, immediately on hanging up I remember something else that I wish to have said or think better of the way I said something. In particular I frequently feel as though I've left a message that comes off pushy sounding. I say things like "...give me a call when you get this message" (duh) or "call me back" or similarly commanding and terse endings. I don't suppose anybody actually notices or cares generally, but the diction could have a negative effect on somebody when they happen to be emotionally pre-loaded to interpret glasses half empty.

I think two things would improve the state of the voicemail powered world tremendously. One: People should return messages as soon as possible. The sooner the recipient gets back, the less vulnerable the sender feels in terms of what he has put out there, that he has put something out there, and how it has been interpreted. Also, the sooner the recipient gets back, the better the sender's opportunity to amend or contextualize the original message with follow-up text, and the less one-way he feels the communication has been. This leads to future messages being left more carefree and naturally.

Two: Voicemail systems should record messages with all the fidelity of the source. A significant part of the stiltedness of messages is introduced by the desire to avoid misunderstanding, and a large contributor to misunderstanding is lousy quality recordings. Voicemail should be treated as priority a medium as a live phone call. Then people wouldn't feel obliged to repeat phone numbers twice and emphasize their main points so the straining ear won't miss anything important.

Blah.

This topic reminds me: What is it with urinals that beep at you? I believe bathroom fixtures should be seen and not heard.

Comments

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hey christian :)

hope your bloglet's working...i was never able to figure out if mine was or not. anyway, thanks for the "very cool people". i'm honoured.

*hug*