It happens all the time

I can't be the only one who notices people who say "I love you" before hanging up on a telecon.


Ever notice how these Sametime Statuses that start with "I can't be the only one" usually turn out where you're the only one?


But this is different! In this new era of telecommuting, people are on telecons all the time. If you work exclusively from home, you often have no choice but to be on telecons. Some people are on telecons most of their natural lives and have the process down to an art and a science...but most of us will call into a meeting at most once or twice a day.

In addition to being the era of telecommuting, this is the Era of Wussification...and people get accustomed to their routines and mentally can't deviate from it. In much the same way that people have "Thanks" in their email signature so they don't have to type it each time, people have "I love you" at the end of their phone calls. Instead of an actual sentiment, it becomes a mere period at the end of the telephone sentence. Whether or not they love the person on the other end becomes irrelevant...it's simply what you say prior to hanging up. This is where the fun starts. This same person will join a telecon with people he or she merely works with, and has no feelings for. Once that person's contribution to the telecon expires, they exit the conversation the only way they know how..."I love you."

I'd like to tell you that the conference room containing the rest of the meeting participants feels a renewed sense of warmth and caring for the person who just hung up, but that's simply not the case. What follows is more of an awkward silence until somebody breaks the ice by replying "uhmm...we love you too, Bill" then chuckling and looking around the room for approval.