Desperate guys who 'talk' me for no apparent reason

Sitting in pine in my Unix account on my university system, minding my own business. For no apparent reason, somebody will send me the Unix talk command. It is inevitably a single guy, usually a computer geek. Since it's never anyone I've even met, I can only assume that they were turned on by the fact that I have a .plan and a .project. Usually I send them a polite e-mail saying "Do I know you? If not, I'm pretty busy. Thanks." Once a guy got pissed off and started sending me harassing messages all the time. What he didn't know was that root was my friend... All I can say is, this is possibly the only thing more pathetic than trying to form a meaningful relationship by hanging out in singles bars. Get a rudimentary personality.

Yes, I should turn messages off, but I'm vaguely amused by the idea that some people have less of a life than I do. And if someone ever replied politely, I might even chat with them. I'm not heartless, you know.

P.S. My latest messager e-mailed me back and said something, in an English clearly not his first language, "Sorry, you don't know me. You should feel compliment because I liked your finger information." *Sigh*

I'm afraid I must provide an alternate point of view:

How are people supposed to get to know each other without a "first contact", so to speak? What if you didn't shun these people, and you someday met someone who is intelligent, has common interests with you, and is not "desperate"? You already are a UNIX user, and the person messaging you probably is as well, so they are probably at *least* somewhat intelligent.

Not everyone who seeks out communication online is "desperate". Sometimes people are just shy and don't want to confront someone in real life that they don't already know something about. These people can end up being interesting to talk to once you get to know them. I personally have met the vast majority of my friends online and they are all meaningful friendships.

If you have an interesting .plan and .project, and leave messages on, it is cruel for you to blow people off who just simply want someone interesting to talk to. Give them a chance, and if they prove to be a**holes, then tell them to go away. If you don't have time to talk to someone, just...

mesg n

It's that easy, and you won't be perceived as a jerk.