LooseSuits

I'm a huge IM whore in this regard. If I'm working on something, but don't mind talking with others regarding the work, or if it's important, I'll set myself to "Busy". If I'm online and just doing whatever, it's set to "Online". If I'm gone, it's set to "Away".

Now that I think about it though, I'm usually "Busy". ;-)

I'm either online (Available) or Away. None of this busy, on the phone, out to lunch business. I'm usually away because I forget to turn off my away status when I return. For the same reason, I have it set me away automagically after 15 minutes of inactivity because I often forget.

And Idle, I don't really know what that implies: you're in the general area but possibly asleep?

That's usually a magic setting that only comes into effect after x minutes of inactivity. Not a status you can just set yourself.

I'm always online. If somebody has something to say, I don't want to scare them off if they think I'm away when I might actually just be having a coffee.

I'd rather know and get back to them when I see the message than find out when they're next online.

If I'm there, I'm set to away. If I leave it on available I get way to many messages from people.

I only log onto IM for specific reasons, not often for leisurely chats.

My screen name is always online, if I'm actually not at the computer I will most likely have an away message up, but often if I am at the computer I will have an away message if I want the option to not talk to someone if I don't feel like it.

It's like another cell phone to me... I'll respond if I can and/or feel like it.

I just use standard MSN statuses:

If I'm busy, I set it to busy.
If I'm away, I set it to away.
If I'm away for a time lesson than 10 minute, I set it to be right back.
If I'm eating, I set it to 'out to lunch'.

Etc :P

computerjoe is boring.

I used to be a AIM whore, but I rarely talk to have to people on my buddy list so I kind of gone away from it in the past few weeks. I didn't have any formal way of using my status though. I always had my away message as a link to my blog when I updated it though.

Otherwise, whatever I was going, was my away message. Kept it simple.

If I'm present and available to talk, I'm what you would call 'Online'. If I'm not available to talk or away from the computer I believe that's called 'Offline'.

I often find that when I am logged in and I nip away I still get messages despite it saying I am "away". I now set myself to busy and put a message in my name stating that I am not at the computer, although still I get people talking to me...

JPhill I know yeah! I pay attention to my away messages a bit but it does feel a little bit weird to talk about them on the Internet. I mean...you just do what you feel like...I guess.

Wow, a lot of different approaches and a lot of different settings for different situations, for most of you.

There is no real etiquette then, apparently.

I think I'm going to try the straightforwardness of Devin for a while. Makes sense: online is online, offline is offline.

Could it be easier? What was I thinking?!

Thanks for the replies.

when i'm at work my status says "work" but i'm available. that way i can communicate with coworkers and outside friends, but people know that if i don't respond to them, i'm busy with a project.

I never change my status.
If you message me and I don't reply.. I'm away. If you message me and I reply. I'm not.

I feel that signing in while gone is useless. Plus I can lose track of those messages, email is best for when I'm gone. ;)

I'm always signed on, however I never set my status to away or others wherever I am. I really should start doing that, as whenever I get back to my computer I've got about 6 unread chats.

Normal away message is something like:
Stuff to work on. <phone #> / stevenbao.com
Away when away, but always online or away.

Honestly, I don't use away messages very often. If I'm at my computer, then I will be online, but if I am out of the room, then I will be away. If I'm out of the house, then I'm offline.

I always have the funny "busy" messages. Busy because I'm at the computer, I'm willing to talk to you, but response times may be delayed because of what I'm doing.

If I really can't talk while I'm doing what I'm doing, I'll just shut down the client.

Away means i'm out of the room for more than five minutes, but I do plan on coming back fairly soon.

Pretty much if I'm logged on, I'm available (and willing) to talk.

Sometimes I'll set myself to 'away' if I'm genuinely only going to be 'away' for fifteen minutes to half an hour. If it's going to be longer than that, I log off. Really, if someone needs to get hold of me that bad they'll ring or email me.

Like paularms, I'm always away.

*pranking bao right now*

I'm with Kristin!
I'm the same way too. =)

Removed my phone number.
(Thank you Tyme)
:)

I'm with Glenn on this one. I'm online and away 90% of the time I'm actually at my computer; setting myself to Available opens me up to a slew of IMs from people I probably don't want to talk to, and everyone that I would want to talk to knows that I do this anyway. Really, I'm only away if my status is Away and Idle.

I usually have my status as "Appear Offline", however when a few amount of people are online I will make myself visible, once I have made myself visible I will then usually leave it at that, no matter if I'm busy or away from my computer which may often have me receiving messages such as "Not talkin to me now then eh?!" or "Have I done something wrong?" but I normally just ignore them, it's easier receiving them than having to change my status constantly, the only time I change my status when visible is to "In A Call".

I am always away/busy since I do not like to be disturbed after adding too many random people. Sigh.

I think IM statuses should be used, but we all know they are quite lazy... I mean the amount of people that chat to me when it is set to away...

I think people just always assume that I'm either away or busy, even if I'm not. o_o;

Sometimes, I'll stick an away message if I'm on but doing homework. Or if I am watching a video or something. Usually, I'll just log off though instead.

Not online (IM wise) very much, I dont like sitting there waiting for someone to respond, ADD sorry...but when I am online and I leave it on when Im away, I type in what i'm doing like "went to the bank" or "running errands"...

If my laptop screen is open: I'm online. If I don't talk to anyone or don't use Adium for >15 minutes, it automatically sets me to idle. That's it.

When I'm away from my computer, I close the lid: so I'm offline anyway. That's when e-mail is a more appropriate way to contact me.

That's again quite an array of personal methods, and of seriously varying ways of interpreting a status.

Mostly, it seems, it matters little and people reply when they can/want to: something that people who keep typing 'helloooo' and 'are you there?' need to learn soon.

I think the thing that irks me the most is when I have an away message up, people still send me about 4 IM's a piece. After which I block them. My IRC policy? Very strict. That's why the only away message I have says "I'm not at my PC. Don't IM me."

For me, it's either here lol or away. I do use some of those corny away messages (mostly made up by me).

I rarely ever put myself on as away when I walk away from the computer. I know I probably should, but I'm just too darn lazy to get around to it.