Tuesday Tech Tip: What the ‘Someone Is Typing’ Bubbles in Messaging Apps Actually Mean

Whether it’s a series of blinking ellipsis or an explicit notification that “someone’s typing,” the messaging feature known as a typing indicator is both a useful tool and a source of anxiety for many people. But knowing more about how it works can at least limit the guessing games that cause us stress.

“Hi,” your boss types in the Slack DM, and then appears to type for 10 minutes. What the hell are they typing? What’s happening? Did they just type a sentence and walk away and this damned thing is continuously reassuring you that you’re definitely getting fired? Maybe.

Or, your significant other types, “we need to talk,” and the typing indicator keeps popping up and disappearing. Are they adding on to a thought? Are they constantly erasing what they just said, so they can say, “I’m just not into you” with the cleanest execution possible? Probably.

Like many people who work in an office these days, my interactions with co-workers are almost entirely relegated to Slack, a popular team messaging app. Outside of work, I use different messaging apps to keep up with friends and loved ones, and I’m allergic to phone calls. Someone is always typing. And like most people, I don’t think much about it unless it’s one of those potentially consequential incidents, at which point I turn into a neurotic basket case.

Read the full article @ Gizmodo.