Obviously it started with the humble text message – more and more it seems we are too busy to actually talk via our phones and now that these very same devices are essentially becoming micro-laptops with web apps and full browser capabilities, the text will in turn be replaced by the more sophisticated email or an ‘instant message’ chat.

One thing I have noticed about the popularity of the humble ‘instant message’ is that the addition of said capability on Facebook means it’s genuinely there in the user consciousness again. For a while I felt it had died due to Facebook, as it seemed more and more lo-end users saw this site as a slow ‘IM’ where users post to a friends wall, get a reply the next day and back and forth. But the addition of and ‘IM’ service means everyone is getting their ‘IM’ on again, and a new generation of users are introduced the concept.

Ponder this, for everyone that does use an ‘IM’ service as a standalone app or through a site, why don’t they just use Skype and actually talk (and see) to each other for free – and so back to my view we don’t seem to like to talk anymore – and we obviously really don’t want to look at each other.

So it’s seems logical to watch on, with bated breath, the move away from phones as talking devices to phones as portable ‘IM’ devices.

Putting nostalgia for the old-school cat to one side this will have practical benefits. A big one is the ability to keep your conversations for future reference through the transcripts feature that most ‘IM’ apps have.

Brilliant no more pretending we never had that important conversation about (insert topic here).