Keeping Your IM Client Neat and Tidy

Instant messengers tend to be one of those technological advances that gets clogged up quickly.  That is because adding new contacts is an incredibly easy thing to do.  On most services it is merely a matter of one or two clicks.  If you went down your IM buddy list would you find any of these?

• Old classmates you don’t need to share projects information with anymore.
• Co-workers that you no longer collaborate with and don’t have any personal affinity for.
• That cool guy you met in a chat room, and had a conversation with 3 years ago.
• Unfriendly exec’s, or any of their friends.
• Screen names that you just flat out don’t know who they belong to anymore.

How do you fix it?  Why with a simple cleaning session.  Get to your contact management screen.  Now ask your self two questions.

1. 1. Have I talked to this person in the last 12 months.
   2. Is it likely, I will talk to them again?

If you answer both with a no, delete it.