[arendtio]

Well, it sounds like you are no introvert ;-)

No seriously, many people are quite uncomfortable when they have to use their voice for communication with foreigners.

I don't know how Coffee Chat handles the whole 'language' problem (native vs. English), but for most non-native English speakers, having to speak English is a higher barrier than having to write it.

So your points are valid too (and I could add that some people can't type as fast as they want). Therefore it would be a good idea to have 'voice' as the primary means of communication and 'text' as an alternative.

[sgt]

Aside from that, it usually takes less energy to type, and you can do other things while replying (or in the gaps between). Voice is more of a dedicated channel, and it's not necessarily more productive. With text you're given a chance to think about what you're about to send before hitting the submit button. I think there needs to be a balance here. Voice has its benefits, but it's not always the way to go.

[Waterluvian]

These are the reasons for me. I'm fairly charismatic and well spoken. I just don't like it for this kind of thing because it doesn't give me little extra time to formulate the best response I can.