Slydial: 70% Less Mean than Breaking up via Text Message
MobileSphere’s Slydial application, which deputed last week, allows you to send messages straight to a recipient’s voicemail without the inconvenience of having to worry about them actually answering the phone. I know, it sounds a little boring. The impressive part is that the two best examples that MobileSphere gives for the application’s use are to call in sick without having to give an explanation and breaking up with someone without having to actually confront them. Both of these scenarios presuppose that a text message provides too much accountability or is somehow less tawdry than a hit and run voice message. The best part is that it’s a free service supported by advertisers. So if you don’t mind listening to a McDonald’s commercial before delivering your “it’s not you, it’s me” message, have fun!
Seriously though, a NYT article on Slydial (read it here) makes some interesting observations about the impact that social networking sites are having on the way that we communicate. Perhaps in much the same way that Facebook changed to mimic the terse messaging style of Twitter, mobile is adapting to diminish the commiment level that two way voice communication demands.
Money quote…
But Ms. Gorman, who works in marketing in Manhattan, said that using Slydial to break off her relationship allowed her to communicate effectively without the potential anxiety.
“If it’s some jerk I went out on a couple of dates with, I can do without that drama,” she said.
“Text messaging someone ‘I would prefer not to see you again’ is really not my style,” she added. “But at the same time, I wanted to avoid an awkward conversation.”
