The Friday Five.

[elfs]

1. Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not?

Not really. It's in that intermediate place between the feedback of face-to-face and the deliberateness of email. I can take my time when writing; I can make important judgements about another person's demeanor in person. Neither of those are available over the phone.

2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?

My wife. Which is different. I know her well enough to guess where a phone conversation is going.

3. About how many telephones do you have at home? Plugged in?

One, in the kitchen. We both have cell phones, though.

4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened?

Not that I can recall.

5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not?

Write email. It's less of an an intrusion into their life, and it involves much less guesswork when trying to figure out how they'll take it.

Comments

[jenkitty.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you and I feel much the same way about the phone.

I hate talking on phones. I'd rather send an email myself, and receive them too. I like to reread email sometimes, maybe answer the same piece a couple of times, to address different segments of it separately. It's too easy to lose track of part of a conversation when it's just by voice (even face-to-face, but I'd rather do that than sit somewhere with a piece of plastic next to my ear). Email's less intrusive, I agree, and lets the recipient answer when they have time instead of having to say, "I'm busy, when can I call you back?"

I especially like emails that say, "When can we get together?" :)