What is this constant need for contact??

[Hypancistrus]

I have been sick with the flu since Friday of last week-- out of work since Monday-- and I feel miserable. I manage to drag myself out of my bed today to check email (Yahoo) and I get splurged with three pop ups. One is asking me to add a friend as a "contact," who I thought was already a contact... then I see this new blue box on the left hand side of my mailbox, right under the listings of my different folders.

It says chat and text at the top. I did some more digging and I find this:
http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/classic/chat

So my friend starts texting me as I try to check my dang email, and I find myself thinking, is this really necessary?? Do we really need to be this in touch with each other??

I've searched and searched but can't find any way to turn this horrific feature off. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas?? Any other Yahoo users noticed this new "feature"?

 

[jenneses]

You can set it to invisible so that people don't know you're online. It's what I do, since I frequently check my email at work.

 

[vetusvates]

Lauren, I have not come across the feature yet you are talking about. But then, I have almost totally migrated to "gmail" as of 2 to 3 years ago. I had one of the earliest gmal accounts (maybe?) about 7 or 8 years ago. As my old/single/primary yahoo email address, had by friends, family, and work, started getting crowded (50+ emails whenever I opened it) AND spam, I decided I needed at least two different addresses : one for work, one for personal friends and family. So as I executed this plan, I started doing it with gmail. And gmail has unquestionably the better anti-spam recognizing feature.
Not only does yahoo persist in labeling new proper contacts as spam or even blocking them altogether, but it seems to also persist in not recognizing real spam. I had a serious business email I had to receive from the state, and I had to turn every last filter/blocker I had on yahoo OFF to get it. AND, after a few months of my boss not getting yahoo emails from me, his yahoo account started blocking my yahoo emails. Arrrggghhh. About a year ago, I started getting multi (spam) invitations to chat groups, that were random, and from strangers. I would think Yahoo would know this was a turnoff.
Like I said, I haven't run into the problem you speak of because I am almost never logged into yahoo mail anymore. I still (sentimentally) have yahoo as my home page, but for me gmail is the way to go. It somehow properly and consistently recognizes spam and junk, doesn't bounce back email from friends and family, has bells & whistles one WOULD want, and none I've seen that are ridiculous that one would NOT want.
And...it's kind of cool, too.
Incidentally, I am not an email fiend, do not check it everyday, live alone, and neither go to chat rooms, instant messengers, nor like talking on the phone. Other than DYK (where I can come and go as I please), I have rebelled against this hyper-contact culture you speak of. I recently even made a second Facebook account because the first one was getting too crowded. And rarely go to either.

 

[vetusvates]

You can set it to invisible so that people don't know you're online. It's what I do, since I frequently check my email at work.

Yep, that was a given. I always have it set there, on every yahoo account. I don't know why,....instinct just told me to.
And I check email, even on my most active accounts, 3 times a week, max. So if mom, sis, or friend emails me, they usually know to send a PM on CS.com or a text to my phone to "check email". I'm a sagaximattarious (intentionally misspelled), love my freedom, and don't like being tethered to anything.

 

[tricksterpup]

I have mine clicked on Offline all the time. I agree its annoying. I believe you can do the drop down and select offline.

 

[jpccusa]

I know what you mean Lauren. Being far from my mom, this is the way she controls my whereabouts now. If for some reason I am unable to log in to MSN Messenger, I can be certain she will call me to ask if everything is alright.

People are starting to get sick of these features and a clear example was Google's failed tracking feature (sorry, don't remember the name) where your cell phone location could be seen by anyone registered. CREEPY!

I am seriously considering going stealth everywhere so I break a few control bonds some people still have with me.

 

[vetusvates]

OK, Lauren, now I see what you mean, about the new version of the yahoo mail page. And thanks a million, Jim, for the pictures. I would have been in the same aggravated boat as Lauren.
And JP, I do not want people traking me all over town. Not that I go anywhere peculiar. But, honestly, who would I want to track? No one.
That must be for parents and their kids.
Although, I'm sure years ago, my multi-adulterous father would have loathed being monitored. :roflmao:

 

[kathylove]

I don't use Yahoo, BUT - I am finding Facebook kind of annoying in the same sort of way. I always avoided using those types of sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc) because I get plenty of chance to socialize online on herp sites such as this one. I didn't want to waste time on general sites such as those. But after getting a bunch of invitations, I eventually caved in and joined Facebook.

I did get a bunch of friend requests (it is always nice to have friends, lol!). But the puzzling and somewhat annoying features are all of the OTHER items that have been coming in - requests for causes, gifts (seem to be photos of herps), pie in the face, buying friends, "hottie" invitation (guess they never saw a photo of me, lol!), and something called a blue cove(??). And some other stuff I don't remember. I don't really want to learn about all of that stuff (don't care about it enough to spend much time reading about all of it - I would rather be here!), but don't want to appear stuffy or stuck up, either. I guess the people who run those sites are trying to offer lots of features to appeal to lots of people, but I find them more annoying than interesting. Now I either have to start trying to figure out what they mean and reciprocate, or risk looking like a real curmudgeon if I ignore them - a no-win situation, lol!

I am NOT going to join MySpace or any other similar sites, haha! I should be out feeding babies instead of playing here on CS. I don't need to find more ways to avoid work!!