Keeping it virtual!

Okay, I have to get something off my chest. And it may be pushing the envelope (ha!) so to speak as far as my normal blogging boundaries go, but I'm feeling edgy lately. So, here goes.

Why do we - and by we, I mean all of us on computers, so that means YOU! - feel comfortable in ignoring people on a virtual level? I'm not saying I'm not guilty. Oh no, I am waaaay deep in the guilt factor here, but then why does it bother me so much when emails and such go unanswered? I know I do it, and I'm sure we all do it (unless you have a compulsion to respond to EVERYthing you get in your inbox) but come on! I think the instances that really stick out in my mind and leave me scratching my head, are the ones where someone else initiated the email thread, and I respond appropriately, and then.....I never hear back from them!!! Isn't that a little like walking away from someone in the middle of a conversation? How does that not send a message?! And when it does happen, I don't feel like it has anything to do with the conversation itself or with me. I don't necessarily take it as a personal attack, but I still feel a bit thrown off by these situations.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Does this happen to you? Or am I the only one out there that people ignore?

I fully recognize the good excuses that exist for this phenomena. Too busy, too many emails to keep track of, email got lost in cyberspace....AND I sincerely apologize to anyone that I have personally done this to. I didn't do it maliciously. In fact, I'm sure I could legitimately use all the excuses in the book, but that doesn't seem to make it feel right. I guess I should use my own perspective to forgive the shortcomings of others. I'm not really any better at it I suppose. And I shouldn't be judging based on something so stupid. But what about the "too much time passing and then just figuring it's forgotten" excuse? Do people really forget about not having their questions answered? Am I just petty? I'd like to say that I do it subconsciously to avoid being the one in the position of having the unanswered email/comment - because that's not a fun feeling. But that doesn't make it okay, does it?

Tell me, I can handle it.

BUT, aside from me just being a judgmental whiner and pointing out something that EVERYone does and has become an accepted cyber-social norm, can I suggest that maybe it shouldn't be? That maybe this is part of why people feel disconnected in the midst of so many connecting tools? That maybe we could all work harder at not "walking away" and dismissing people's messages? Is that too much to ask for?

I'll do better, too, I promise.