Instant Written words vs Static Written words in Tech Discussions

From time to time, you come to discussion in Tech sector about some particular topic. Be that new feature, new program, or a way of doing different things. You can engage with other people that are working on some program/initiative and other users in live chat or go on official forum/comments. But which way is better?

In case you are looking for a way to fix some problem or find some information, the first step is usually to scout the websites forums, documentation. In most cases you will find the information you need and move on. Information that is there is mostly static and it is what I consider “static written word”. Static written words are best used for documentation and content that doesn’t change.

In contrast, “instant written words” are dynamical and used in chats, and other types of instant discussions. If for some reason you didn’t find the answer you were looking for, you can always engage developer or other users in live chat for help.

Using instant and static written words

There are times when one is better than the other. In case you want to help other users beside yourself, making a thread on forum or post on Facebook group. Sure, you can reach out and get your answer via chat, but think about it this way: In case you want to go back and find solution for the problem you forgot how you solved. Having static written words could be life saver.

If you are working within a team or have joined general chat, like for example Ubuntu chat, ,,instant written words” will help you to engage better with other users. Instant chats or live chats, are always better in case you want to get understanding on how things work or what you are doing wrong.

Using instant chat for announcement is acceptable if it is followup to the thread on forum or blog. Things like feedback while you are developing program, feature, etc, are better done with static written words. You have template, one big story, and smaller subset of stories – a perfect setup for Project Manager to create backlog. After release, instant chat is far better for users to get support, ask quick questions etc. You can also use instant chat discussion to create set of FAQ and have it added to your website. By engaging with dynamically created content you are creating static content that will reduce number of similar questions.  The less similar threads you have the better your static content is, since various threads will have diversified content.

Think things through

When using instant written words, the delay in some cases is in seconds or few minutes when compared to static written words. One thing that static written words enable you is to think before you write. Sometime your tongue, as old Serbian proverb goes, can be quicker than your brain. You could say something that could offend someone or come across as non friendly community. When writing thread on forum or reply, you will tend to take cold headed approach before writing.

In conclusion, the instant written words are better when communicating directly about some issue, or asking quick questions. If you have questions that need to be elaborated and looked into, the static written words are better. Static written words are best for having documentation, issuing statements, and having discussion about some larger issue. However, you should try to combine the usage. By using both, you can be more productive and at the same time foster both ways of communicating. You will have faster conversation with the team, which when working remotely is a key, that can prove to be time saver.

Both instant and static written words have their uses but it is up to you to find the middle ground.