The etiquette of emails, texting and spamming
Here we go again. One day we are just walking along, having a life and then, poof, someone invents the computer. Of all things, a computer! And it can do some marvelous things.
They said, “Look! Now you can do in 10 seconds what used to take hours.” A letter to your mother, just press the send button; why pick up the phone? Or invitations to your friends for a party in three days? Carbon copy (cc) that puppy to everyone, and who cares if you run out of chips for your boyfriends’ famous guacamole dip. It was last-minute, your guests will understand.
And finally, you just had to send everyone you know the hilarious story about the man who fell from his fourth-floor apartment while trying to catch a Frisbee. In the hospital, when the nurse asked if he was allergic to anything, he said, “Yeah, gravity”!
That little ditty circled the globe, because you didn’t want 10 people to have bad luck. So what if all your friends’ address ends up on a Spam list because you didn’t blind carbon copy (bcc). The story WAS funny!
When the blender came along, there was a new set of rules that came with it. Sure, we started out making just baby food, but consider how far we have come. Now we can have a mango peach smoothie in the dead of winter.
Then, like now, we are in need of a bit of (shall we say) an adjustment. The internet has evolved. And, as with any organism, it has grown, acquired an appetite and changed. And yet the Rules of Etiquette are still the same when it comes to corresponding with other people. The adjustment factor comes into play before you hit the SEND button, though.
Before we get to the fine tuning of the new, let’s compare it to the old. From there our solutions will take on another life. First, all forms of communications start with a greeting and end with a closing signature.
Decide whether it’s a letter or a note. Letters have the same format as if it is being mailed. Notes are abbreviated sentences and short words without details or long explanations.
Like a telegram, sometimes you get an email whether you want it or not. The solution? Say, “The best way to reach me is by phone” or “my e-mail is through my employer and is limited to business only” or “print it out and mail it to me.”
Hint: Ever notice the subliminal size of an e-mail window is the same size as a post card?
Instant or text messaging / international Morse code: The 411 is not always clear. XOXO means the same 2day, yet when using this method u should not expect the person’s full attention. While a gr8t form of communication, the courtesy of establishing mutual understanding is vital.
Spam/ Chain letter: or uninvited coercion. And just like the “boogie nights” ring tone of yesteryear, the novelty of it all does wear out.
Finally, the internet and the computer are best things since sliced bread. So be quick about it, feed the appetite; take the two pieces, smooth a few etiquette rules in the middle and you have yourself a charming conversation.
Madolena Key: www.mannerismsllc.net; (636) 398-6267.