First thoughts on IM'ing

I never really IM'd or chatted before starting this program. Although it is not my preferred way to communicate I feel like I'm getting better at it. I do have a hard time keeping up with a group chat. Sometimes when I am typing I miss part of the conversation and have to scroll up to see. Then sometimes what I've just typed someone else has already said.

One thing that surprised me in the reading that I have done so far is that the teenagers cared about their spelling and punctuation, especially if they were trying to impress the person. Perhaps this is a good argument for online postings in the classroom. If children care about what their peers think, they may be more careful when they know that their peers are going to be seeing what they write.