OP I don't agree with your friend that it's a handicap and to be fair. There are people that genuinely have disabilities.
I think you actually see personality and character without a picture. Which is more important in the long run to someone like me. But I guess you would have to either be on the blogs or the forums or take a chance. It's not like people are not taking chances being here anyway.
I'm still with crazy (made me chuckle that) that there is too much of him. I like bloggers who have something to say. But repeating the same thing just makes my brain switch off from it.
If they "needed" to speak to you they'd of called back. It wasn't a need. So it no longer matters.
One thing annoys me is when I make an appointment is not respecting my time and running late without giving me a choice. It's like these days no one has value for others time.
In fact it has become so widely accepted that I now expect appointments not to run on time. So I cannot plan ahead or make my day as productive as it could be.
I was watching a comedian the other day talking about selfies and you know what he had a point. He said it should be renamed the lonely. Not the selfie.. nobody to take the picture for you. Friend or family.
Selfies I guess are a great way for strangers to know what you look like. But, beyond that.. hmm.
RE: "FOREVER"
It happens to me in PM sometimes other times the forums. It isn't just with a computer either as most of the time I use my phone.Busy is the general message I get. But I get impatient, as it appears stuck forever. So I select all and copy the original message and paste it.
Not sure if that helps.