Messaging And Formality: Will IM Follow in the Footsteps of Email?

This paper discusses instant messaging in the context of a tension between informal communication and the benefits of having a record of an exchange. IM exchanges are generally informal. As messaging is used more in work settings, being able to review an exchange can occasionally be helpful. However, knowing that a communication will be saved can lead to greater formality. We start with a case study of IM use that illustrates this transition. In several respects, messaging may be paralleling the path of email use. The effects of recording are particularly significant because of the rapidly growing ease of archiving digital information of all kinds.