away

Just right now, 14 out of 16 people online on my msn are marked as "away." One is "busy" and only one is "online." What a trend that has come over MSN lately. Just as people like to ignore strangers on the bus with the use of headphones, people are now ignoring others with the use of the "away" shield. I admit I wear headphones on the bus, I don't want some crazy person talking to me. But your MSN friends (not necessarily real life friends) aren't strangers. There's an easier way to ignore, use the block and delete function. Sooner or later, the "friend" will clue in that you aren't online, ever, and they'll delete you off their list. So why go online to be "away" is the question. If you're "away," is it so hard to sign out? I'm guessing these "away" people just keep their MSN open to see who talks to them. A kind of self-centered thing. This is, of course, a huge generalization that isn't true all the time, but it's just my guess. I admit I like to use the "busy" status (it's a good way to shut the sounds up) and every once and a while I'll pull up the "away" sign. Just don't do it all the time!