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38 Comments
- IHaveIssues, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23Why not just link to the original article?
http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/01/14/how-to-annoy-people-using-instant-messaging/
Your blog comments added nothing. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18@simplenation
Practice what you preach.
Edit: "Will it blend?" comments are getting so unbelievably annoying. - Iffrat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14im not trying to be a dick.. and i know i will get dugg down for this.. but this is why we use mirror sites...
- simplenation, on 10/12/2007, -9/+20someone needs to make a list for digg commenting etiquette. first rule: never reply to the first comment if it isn't relevant to the original post. people abuse the system now just to get their comment read.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11and made it incredibly weird to read I might add.
- DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10As a college kid coming out into the business world, it is HILARIOUS to see adults try to be hip when using IMs around the office.
- Iffrat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Etiquette, on digg?? are you crazy... everyone knows diggfanboys dont have etiquette
- blahtastic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7umm...1337?
- xocomil, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@simplenation
You have given the best definition of irony I've seen in a long time. Thank you. - Nevrast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Why are people digging him down? This kind of shortening words is ridiculous. When you write "y r u @ class", or anything like that, you make yourself look like an idiot and make it actually more difficult for me to read.
The worst one in my opinion is when people type 'neways' for 'anyways'. Whenever I see this I actually have an urge to just stop talking to the person. First of all, it's one more letter. How much extra effort can that take? Secondly, 'neways' doesn't look like any sort of recognizable word to someone who isn't use to it, so you have to take a second look at it, slowing down your reading. Thirdly 'neways' is pronounced by pronouncing the first two letters 'n' 'e' then switching to phonetic pronunciation for "ways". This takes longer to read and generally is confusing. Other similar examples are things like 2morrow and 2day.
I'm not asking for people to write with proficiency at all times. It's ok to use acronyms for common things like 'brb', 'gtg' or even 'lol' or common abbreviations. I'm also fine with purposefully bastardized language in order to be funny or talk in a certain style. All I ask is that you don't use unnecessary non-words, as it just confuses people and frankly makes you look like an immature idiot. - DidntYouHear, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5At first I was lol, but it's actually some pretty good info.
- Ray_Justice, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7what do you mean? :-p
- foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5"but this is why we use mirror sites..."
Often, Mirror sites go down too.
Digg OP down to save space and put a note saying its a copy of the article.
Looks better that way.
Note. OP is a mirror of the article, dugg down to save space. - MattGrover, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Could've got away without this person feeling the need to explain the joke of the original article :/
- juicyj, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I just tell people when they annoy me and I expect them to do the same should I be annoying them.
- philz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Im in ur bra, grabbing ur 733T?
(sorry, couldn't resist) - perryge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@simplenation
Hypocrisy is a virtue possessed by only a select few :P.
Either that or the sarcasm's so subtle it passed right by me - M2Ys4U, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@Swifty227: I agree, I think I'll have to start blocking users soon.
- countof5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What a confusing way to write an article. How about blog writing etiquette - if your article contains more quotes than useful information, just link to the article and give us a paragraph on your thoughts... LifeHacker style. tyvm.
- VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I just wish I could stop finding things like "Myspace IM" and "Yahoo Messenger, complete with automatically-installed 10 million toolbars" on our work computers. I keep taking them off, and people keep putting them back on. No computer needs 5 different IM clients on it, especially a work computer!
- CeeJayReb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This comes at too freaky of a time for me. I have been talking to a few people this week about "online etiquette", and I actually phrased it like that. My biggest complaint is how, even with close friends, you could be in the middle of a conversation, and without warning, even when you're responding to a question they asked....they quickly give you the ("gtg, ttyl" User has signed off) one-two punch. And you're left, midsentence, with no time to respond. I started to get pissed because people always did that, when I take the extra 10 seconds needed to apologize for my sudden need of departure.
This article kind of opens my eyes that online IM'ing isn't really a venue of personal conversation, and that I should leave the more in depth ideas for face-to-face. Instant Messaging, (in which you can still hold hour long conversations) shouldn't be expected to be more than impersonal questions and comments.
But in this day of Myspace, E-Mail and IM clients, too many people are relying on these "services" for their connection to the outside world. Do I see my friends everyday? Of course not, it's not possible; but I always see them online, and that's where these expectations get shattered. - zackkitzmiller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@nevrast, because he spelled 1337, 733T.
- Kraevin, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5I hate when someone says it is OK to use shortened words. LOL is one thing, but "You" is not that much harder to type than "U". To me shortening already short words just shows your lack of respect for me and everyone else reading it. I would almost rather see 733T than U. At least then I know you were thinking about what you were writing and intended to convey the message that way.
- hoowahman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2A lot of those quotes confused me and some of them about not pausing or saying goodbye and being at the IM window at all times during a conversation would piss me off. I like to use IM for casual talk of quick and fun communication. I don't want to end the conversation, if i dont respond immediately, I am doing or talking to someone else. If you can't handle it then don't talk to me, i don't expect you to respond to me immediately I know you should have other things going on and if not find something to do while i'm away for a few moments. That's how I roll and it seems to work just dandy.
- Nevrast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I can understand things like 'u' more typing on cellphones, but on a proper keyboard do you guys suck so much at typing that you can't spell out "you"? Personally spelling out full words is natural to me and I have to think more to write 'u'.
- blahtastic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Ok, now...someone really needs to add this to IM etiquette, it's mostly for highschool-college females, but it's annoying as hell. Song lyrics an away message does not make. Stop trying to be deep or emotional when your freaking checking your myspace.
- lilrabbit129, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think that's completely within the context. If you're IMing with friends thats fine, with a colleuge then maybe think twice. I think the bigger concern is readability. Its plainly obvious that you? and u? are the same. But other ones such as, IMHO (in my humble opinion) and WDYT (what do you think) are much harder to interpret.
- ChicagoDawg71, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0All i want to add is, if you start an IM conversation, have something to say. And a smiley face doesn't count. I hate when people start a conversation, then expect me to carry it. If I had something to chat to you about, I would have started the conversation.
- philz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Actually I do need 5 :-)
I work for a international software company, consisting of a bunch medium sized, merged companies. And every company's got their "own" preferred messenger and will not switch as there is no company wide standard... lots of fun I tell you. - celestial, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4SOMEONE SET US UP THE BOMB
- iet2004, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Um...so I guess the next time says "I'm gonna get gas" rather than "I am going to get gas" to you, you'll feel disrespected?
- foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Ok Kids.
If you only read the quotes, this is what *NOT* to do. - BobaFettTDG, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1OKAY, YOU GUYS. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF IM ETIQUETTE IS TO NEVER TYPE IN ALL CA-...whoops...umm, my bad. *sheepish grin*
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2i hope you copy/pasted that
- JackyTreehorn, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1"first rule: never reply to the first comment if it isn't relevant to the original post"
You know what I haven't had in a while?
Big League Chew - neoform, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1LOLLERWAFFLES!!!111!111one
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -26/+4In case it reaches the front page (doubt this site will hold up):
January 15, 2007
Instant Messaging Etiquette
by Stowe Boyd
Anne Zelenka makes a tongue-in-cheek diatribe about the possibilities for rudeness inherent in instant messaging use. In the following, I counter her peeved gripes with recommendations of the basic understanding that all users need to adopt to avoid causing offense, which is the basis for all etiquette.
[blockquoted excerpts from How to Annoy People Using Instant Messaging]
Remember that instant messaging is synchronous, intrusive, and often tedious: in other words, an ideal platform for making a pest of yourself.
Disregard any presence indicators your colleagues use such as busy or away. Your needs are more important than anyone else’s and you know that some people regularly set their IM status to busy or away even when they’re working on unimportant stuff. Bonus: if you catch someone at the computer when she says she’s away, berate her for it. She needs to set her presence indicators according to your needs not her own.
It helps everyone involved if all IM users update their status indicators appropriately, for example, "in a meeting" sends a clear message of what your situation is, and is much better than a simple "online" or "available".
Never check whether a person has time to chat. If he’s online and reachable, he’s all yours! In particular, make sure you never ask about someone’s availability for a work-related chat at these special times of day: in the late afternoon, when he might be trying to finish his work so he can go home; early in the morning, when he might be taking advantage of quiet time to be productive; and the middle of the night, when, if he’s on the computer at all, he’s probably not thinking about work.
It is always appropriate to ignore IM. So long as all parties understand that convention, no one is upset when someone is simply too busy to respond, even if online. It is advisable to ask someone if they have time to chat, and to suggest how long the interchange may take: "Hi. Do you have a few minutes for a question?", for example.
Don’t set your own presence indicators when you’re busy or away from the computer. That way people trying to get a quick answer from you will feel first hopeful and then frustrated. Long term, you can utterly confuse the people you work with by setting one IM account to “busy,” one to “away,” and one to “available,” making them into random noise. Then, when someone IMs you on the “available” account, chew him out for bothering you when you’ve got something important to do.
As I mentioned before, IMs can always be ignored, so people shouldn't get their feelings hurt if someone theoretically available really isn't, or doesn't want to be.
Don’t pause to give the person a chance to respond. Stream-of-your-own-consciousness is a great way to show that you matter and your conversational partner doesn’t. Ask a question, and then ask another, or answer it yourself. Type each sentence with a “…” after it so you can indicate that you have more (and more… and more…) to say.
It is very easy to "talk over" others in IM. It can lead to confusion, and impart a sense of impoliteness. But it isn't always the case that one IM 'stroke' from one person should always be countered by a 'stroke' from the other in a lockstep fashion.
But when you do pause, expect instantaneous replies. When someone is IM’ing with you, she should only be IM’ing with you, not doing anything else. You should expect her to close down all other chats, turn away completely from whatever she was doing, and give you her full attention.
People are multitasking more and more, especially those who IM a lot. Expect it, and don't be upset when pauses are of uneven length. Sometimes it seems more like communication by postcard.
Consider instant messaging as a way of getting personal therapy. This works especially well with your busiest and most driven associates. It’s good for them to help another. They need to be exposed to the reality of the human condition with all its angst and ennui. Don’t hold your pain inside–instant messaging equals instant catharsis. There. Don’t you feel better now?
I reserve my comments on this one, except to note that some studies have suggested that people often find it easier to deal with painful subjects by IM rather than f2f, so, perhaps this use should be encouraged.
Don’t ever use correct capitalization or punctuation. ur 2 kewl 4 dat! You feel comfortable with the brave new world of IM, why shouldn’t everyone else? Shift keys are for sissies.
A bit generational here, Anne. And, especially when using cell phones or other mobiles, shortened spelling can be a lifesaver.
Expect that IM conversations will always be like phone conversations, with a definite goodbye at the end. If your colleague hasn’t signed off, that means the discussion is still going, so keep on typing messages even if you’ve found out what you need to know. Don’t notice when the pauses between your entries and the responses get longer and longer and longer. The longer you keep the session going, the more likely you are to annoy.
With many of the folks I IM with frequently, I never close the chat window. I simply pick up the conversation later in the day. In a sense, the dialogue never ends.
Send large files without asking whether it’s okay. You know better than anyone what people need. Don’t have any qualms about using up other people’s download bandwidth and hard drive space.
I agree. Ask before sending files.
Sprinkle emoticons liberally into your messages. One in a sentence is good, two is better, three provides maximum distraction and visual harassment. Don’t know all the ones you can use? Bookmark the one you need: AOL, GTalk, MSN, and Yahoo.
I don't use emoticons much, but its just another shorthand, not something pernicious.
Try out all the abbreviations you can think of. Learn new ones every day, so you can be as compact and opaque in your communication as possible. Don’t stick with the ones everyone knows–lol (”laughing out loud”), brb (”be right back”), and np (”no problem”). Try out some new ones, especially on people you know are likely to be unfamiliar with them. How about ptmm (”please tell me more”) or wdalyic (”who died and left you in charge”) or issygti (”I’m so sure you get the idea”)?
Abbreviations can be confusing to the non-initiate, but also a time saver when obvious.
There are a number of other points of IM etiquette that Anne didn't touch on:
* Don't blog personal conversations (including IM) without asking.
* Let people IMing with you know if you are in a public place.
* Turn off all the IM noises when working in an open office or in a meeting.
* It is appropriate to keep IM open in a meeting, so that people can reach you for urgent or critical issues without interrupting the meeting, but it isn't appropriate to IM endlessly in that context.
I did some work on a report about IM etiquette for a shall-not-be-named-client a few years ago that was defanged during the process, and what I wrote never saw the light of day. Here's an excerpt from a draft that was a little to Stowe-ish to meet the desires of the client:
Instant messaging has grown up. What was once just a toy for teenagers is rapidly becoming a mission-critical tool for business people to communicate more easily, and much, much more quickly. There are many factors that are propelling instant messaging into broad use in the business context: an increasingly mobile workforce, geographically distributed teams, and the widespread adoption of wireless devices. These are collectively spurring the uptake of synchronous, real-time collaboration tools by information workers. Perhaps more than any other single factor, the rapid expansion of instant messaging is being driven by the power of presence: the constantly updated status information linked to every user that tells us whether our instant messaging contacts are online, and available to chat.
At the same time, there are a host of questions that must be addressed as this innovative communication medium is adopted into the business setting. In a sense, the protocols for all communication media are very much alike, and as a result, many of the aspects of productive instant messaging (IM) use will follow the norms already in place for email, web conferencing, telephone, and other indirect and electronic forms of communication. However, IM is unique enough that it warrants this in-depth exploration of the emerging best (and perhaps worst) practices for its application.
“IM Etiquette” is perhaps too frivolous a characterization for what we are hoping to achieve, and perhaps suggests an obsessive regulation of social minutiae. We are seeking to provide a practical, situation-by-situation guide to IM use that addresses the interpersonal dimension that surrounds the use of this innovative communication medium, not merely an over-generalized list of dos and don’ts. As a result, we will motivate our recommendations with something more than social convention, exploring both the business value and ethical choices underlying IM’s expanding role in the enterprise.
Or the 19 page pdf:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/o065t8 - ginrummy, on 10/12/2007, -26/+3Will it blend?
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