IT Tips: Not annoying me on MSN

Why is it that some people, albeit most of them junior campers or Gush kiddies, seem to conclude that my presence on MSN Messenger is primarily to give them attention and entertain them?  (even when my sign-in name specifically says "at work")

 

OK first... "why are you on MSN at work Paul?".  My defence for this is weak but effective in that I don't really use it for anything but basic transfer of information.  "You home for tea?"  "Nup."  That sort of thing.  It's cheaper than a phone call and doesn't take me away from other things to make small talk with the other person.  It is also an important part of my job as it allows me to talk to a number of geeks who are a lot smarter than me, on the odd occasion that I come up against a complex problem.  That's my story anyway... and I'm sticking to it.

 

Following last summer camp, I established some rules for MSN:  http://members.optusnet.com.au/tredder/MSNrules which work quite effectively on the camp kiddies... some of whom now change their screen names to something sensible just to talk to me. :P

 

For the rest of you who still haven't caught on, when I am at work, I'm here to work.  If you say something to me on MSN, I may actually leave it there at the bottom of the screen until lunchtime or another more appropriate time to deal with it.  Given that I can spend 8-12 hours on a computer in any one day, don't be too surprised if I'm not falling over myself to play "hi how r u?"  If you can't cope with that, just delete me from your contact list.  I won't mind.  I'll still be able to talk to you if I have something to say.