[lotharbot]

Being social is about being able to decide how to be public, how to be private, and to what degree.

Systems that allow others to know what I've read or said, without my direct control, disrupt my ability to thoughtfully tailor my interactions with different people. "Oversharing" systems disrupt my ability to decide how much context to include or what to emphasize, and they mesh poorly with my ability to prioritize my life.

That said, I think people are more understanding than this article gives them credit for. If I have to go change a diaper between reading a message and responding to it, most people seem to handle the delay just fine. I don't think the notification is specifically helpful, but it's also not as harmful as this article suggests.