Some of our chatter is about talk, especially coordinating future conversations. 

We use various communication channels to negotiate coordinates in time and cyberspace.

We "ping", "poke", direct message our @friends in the channels they are most likely to notice, the better to trigger attention. We propose the channels and modes offering the best mix of commonality (we all have access) and fit (it’s right for our type of conversation).

If we’re lucky, we catch the right people before the topic or our interest expires. Some time windows are near. 

Other events may be further away, needing reminders or quorums.

Sometimes we invite the universe to join. 

So, a few questions.

1.

When is this sort of metatalk best done informally, in back and forth twits, IMs, texts, personal emails?

And when is more structured negotiation a better fit? Many services are built to support this particular conversation. The likes of Anyvite, Evite, Socializr, MyPunchBowl, MadeIt, Phonevite, Mobaganda, Pingg, Presdo, Amiando, Invitastic, MadeIt, iPartee, Renkoo, ImThere, Skobee, Zoji, Windows Live Events, Google Calendar, Rondee, When Is Good, Scheduly, Jiffle, TimeBridge take some of the effort out, especially when you have many people or many talks to support.

2.

How important is it to tailor your metatalk to the channels people prefer? Angela always checks her email all day, Frank follows FriendFeed, and Tim lives with his iPhone. Tailoring cuts average time-to-confirmation and increases the chance of confirmations-per-proposed event.

3.

Do you want your future conversations visible inside Skype? Not a "history" tab but a "future" tab? Full of tentative, proposed, and scheduled talks and meetings? A place to watch and propose and wrangle upcoming conversations?

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