It helps, too, that our primary contacts with our friends are via IM, and we plan to explain to most people in text. We're far more articulate that way.

I'm the same way. I hate trying to talk/explain anything to someone face to face. I get flustered and stutter and say things like "ummm" and "uhh" a lot. God giving speeches in high school was a pain. I'm much better at explaining things with text.

Plus when it comes to things like multiplicity, when you explain it to someone over IM, its easier to direct them to sites that might help them understand it better.