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If somewhat doesn't text back after a given amount of time that varies with each sitiation, to think I must have said something wrong?
I know from personal experience that I typically upset people with my texting. I either will answer immediately or days later or I might not even answer at all. Being the person that doesn't respond or takes time to respond I can tell you not to take it personal. I just hate texting. I'd rather just have the phone call and it be done and over with not the back and forth texting.
I would be worried if it were someone like you who wasn't answering me.... But generally, I figure if it's real important to hear back, I'd call them. I just don't give it that much thought.
Well, if you expect someone else to answer your texts within a self-imposed "acceptable" time frame - do you not hold yourself to your own standard or rule? The fact that your mind only comes up with the one conclusion and no alternatives (that you must have said something wrong and they're not responding because of it) suggests that it would be your course of action. Soooo, if I texted you and you didn't answer - based on your theories of texting etiquette - I might start thinking I said something wrong....but with everyone else in my life...nahhhh, I think they're probably just busy living their lives.
Ok. I thought you meant if you were texting me personally you would get upset if I, and only I or someone like me, took too much time to respond. It seemed like you had a pretty high opinion of this here anonymous poster for a moment there ;)
I mostly come to this conclusion with new people with whom I'm still figuring out texting styles. Especially if we start out texting non-stop and then they just kind of stop out of the blue. I know non-stop texting has to ease off sometime but I can't help but scroll up to see where I went wrong. Lol.
You said right in you post, it can vary by situation. So it's possible, but no reason to assume it's the only possibility.
I understood that, my point is that this suggests there really isn't a cut and dry answer to you question. There are other variables and possibilities. It is one of the possibilities you might consider based on the circumstances, especially if you think or know something you said was actually questionable. But you shouldn't assume it is the only possibility, so no reason do draw a conclusion.
It's normal to jump to the conclusion, but it doesn't mean you actually said something wrong. There can be many reasons someone doesn't answer.
Once in a while I read a text get distracted and then since my phone stops alerting me for the text once I read it, I forget about it. That's one example as to once in a while why I don't answer a text and it wasn't the textee's fault.
Normal. I start to feel that way too when someone does not text me back. To try to stop myself from worrying, I tell myself that they're busy either working, out with a friend, having their personal time, or whatever else they do. Sometimes that works, sometimes, it doesn't.
Sometimes it means something and sometimes it doesn't. People get busy and texting you stops becoming priority. Hell I love talking to people sometimes but when I'm busy I do not check my phone. And just because the conversation stopped doesn't mean YOU said something wrong. And I think your problem lies there. I used to fret so much about what was the best response or if things have gone silent even for a moment that I was the main contributor to death of the conversation but the reality is that sometimes you just have nothing to say. And if they don't initiate later fuck emmmm. Really just say fuck em. Worrying about it is a waste of your time.
Since so many IIN members are so worried about this and the other minutia regarding proper texting etiquette, perhaps one of you texters should write the definitive "Guide to Proper Texting Etiquette".
Not only would you get rich, but you could alleviate all this unnecessary stress and worry in the lives of these children.
Having never sent or received a single text, I just can't see all this stress being necessary. If I got all that stressed out over such a minor life detail, I'd just throw the damned phone in the ocean and bone up on my international signal code flag etiquette.