Definition

An automated text response set on instant messaging platforms to indicate that a user is not currently available to chat. Away messages typically explained where the user was or when they would return.

Example Usage

I set my away message to 'At the movies—back by 11!' so my friends would know why I wasn't responding.

Origin

Standard feature of AOL Instant Messenger and similar early instant messaging services in the 1990s and 2000s.

Fun Fact

Away messages became a form of creative self-expression; users crafted clever, humorous, or poetic messages that often said more about their personality than their actual location.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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