As people spend more time online - and logged into instant messaging services - it’s inevitable that there are times they just can’t respond. That’s why the "away message" - set up to be sent automatically from someone’s account - has become so popular. In the early days, such messages were pretty basic: "showering," "at class," "eating" or "brb" (be right back). But now people are getting more creative. Alan Danzis, a 23-year-old Web user from Hoboken, N.J., often relies on quotes from his favorite TV characters:

• "I know you’ll never love me. I know that I’m a monster. But you treat me like a man, and that’s . . ." (Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer")

• "Me fail English? That’s umpossible." (Ralph from "The Simpsons")

The staff at AOL RED, America Online’s service for teens, also sees pithy one-liners, such as:

• "What Im Lookin For Isnt On Ebay"

• "Beware! I shout out random facts!"

• ". . . Life: Priceless . . . For everything else . . . "Dad, I need your MasterCard!’ "

And Jason Elsky liked the "to do" list his 22-year-old sister, Michelle, recently used as an away message after graduating from Indiana University and moving back home with her parents: 1. Get a job. 2. Get a car. 3. Move out of the house. 4. Get a boyfriend. 5. Dump the boyfriend and get a dog.