There are a few options you have when you wish to communicate with me. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. With that being said, I will note the options you have here and go into detail of the advantages and disadvantages of each means.
Email/Postal Mail
This form of communication is intended when you wish to write more than just a couple of sentences. I feel this is best for someone that would want to write more than just a few paragraphs. I am not likely to reply to people that would just write “Hi”, and expect a response. Obviously, email is simpler, and quicker than postal mail, but many people enjoy the nostalgia of postal communications. I am fine with either one, but would typically ask that one leans to one or the other. I actually had a person that expected me to email them, and they will reply via postal mail. If I didn’t know better, I would say this person didn’t want me to have their postal address, but then they should have wrote email with both means.
Advantages
Obviously, the main advantage is the length of the communication. One could write about more than just a good day, or a terrible night. They may write about everything that happened since the last communication. This builds a good relationship between the two people, and provides for something to look forward to.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage is the delay. Even with email, one may not check their box every hour. Some people may only check their email every 8 hours. With postal mail, it could take weeks or months to get to where it is going to. This is why I personally prefer email over postal mail, but willing to do either. However, there is none of the immediate gratification that one might have with Instant Messaging.
Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging (IM) is as the name implies – intended for instant communication. In older days of the Internet, there were multiple IM options. AOL had AOL Instant Messenger. There is also Microsoft’s Skype, and nowadays, there is Telegram, and SMS. IM is intended for a sentence or two of communication at a time. Very long winded messages will get old quickly in trying to reply to the person writing. Usually long winded messages are intended for instructions rather than casual communication.
Advantages
As the name implies – IM is instant. As long as both parties can agree on an IM platform will define the communication. You can refer to this site for all of the IM resources I support. I will likely not install a new IM service just for one person.
Disadvantages
Again, as the name implies, IM is instant. With that in mind, some people may demand instant gratification of their use. They may send a message, and expect a reply within a minute or two. Also, some people may feel pressured to reply immediately – therefore making what activity they are doing now suffer for the instant messaging. With the right combination of people, this could cause stress that is not really healthy.
Voice
Voice communications can rely on telephony resources, SIP communications, and many IM clients also support voice calling. This is the most immediate of communication, as it will imply that both parties have the time and means to address the call.
Advantages
With exception of call recording capabilities, a voice call can be more private. What is said stays between the parties involve. Also, many people consider a voice call as something personal, and intimate. This might be important with good friends, or those romantically involved with each other.
Disadvantages
Sometimes, a person may not have the ability to appropriately answer a telephone call. If this is the case, then one will go to voicemail. For those self-important people, they will repeatedly call the person they wish to talk to. This is more of an issue with the caller’s behavior rather than the technology at hand.
Also, there maybe an instance where the caller is not completely understood. This could be accents or dialects, but this is more prevalent with a voice call. This could lead to a frustrating telephone call, and leave both parties wishing for a better solution.