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15 Etiquette
Rules for a Brave New World
Diana
Johnson
Sales and Marketing, Wood Networks
 “O
brave new world that has such people in it!”- John
Savage; Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
It is a brave new
world and technology is sometimes changing faster than we
can keep up. However unlike Huxley’s fictional account of
the future, technology is bringing us exciting new
opportunities and we have the freedom to decide what is
appropriate or crosses the line. With that said, there are
some basic technology manners we should all remember.
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1. |
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Probably
the most basic, but most often forgotten rule is to
silence your phone in theaters,
places of worship, and
meetings. |
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2. |
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In this
age of electronic devices, if you want to let someone
know how important they are, try a
face to face. Let’s
remember that only in person can you read a person’s
body language and
facial expressions. Even web cameras
cannot catch all the nuances unique to face to face
communication. The fact that you took time out of your
busy schedule to actually come and see someone will also
hit the mark. |
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3. |
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When
sending an email, do not use decorative backgrounds or
wall paper. It may give your email a snazzy look, but
with the number of people checking and replying to
emails on their cell phones, you may be creating an
unreadable message. Background images can make text look
fuzzy when viewed on the much smaller screen of a smart
phone. |
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4. |
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Mute your
phone when on a webinar or webcast. Have you ever been
on a webinar, where someone forgot? Just hit the mute
button and we don’t have to listen to your conversation
in the background. Definitely don’t put the call on
hold, then we all get to listen to your hold music-
instead of the presenter. |
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5. |
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Do not
forward chain letters, ever. Most chain letters are
scams, or contain malware so you can infect others.
Friends don’t let friends forward junk. |
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6. |
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Always use
spell check. |
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7. |
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Always
acknowledge emails even if the sender did not ask for a
response. This lets them know you received their email
and have read it, taking action where needed. |
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8. |
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Do not
type in all CAPS. All CAPS are considered yelling in
emails, chats, IM, etc. |
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9. |
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All lower
case is fine for chat or IM, not email. All lower case
in an email is considered lazy or uneducated.
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10. |
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Never open
an email attachment from someone you don’t know. That is
just asking for trouble. Trouble as in infecting your
computer, crashing the system, and spreading viruses to
everyone on your email contact list. |
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11. |
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Don’t
forward without editing out commentary, other email
addresses, headers, etc. If someone sends you an email
and you need to send it on to others within your
organization or even to your friends, hit forward and
then delete all the other email addresses, comments by
other senders, and any footers or headers. |
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12. |
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Don’t give
out personal information on message boards. This is not
just an etiquette rule, but a safety measure. Remember,
not everyone out there in cyber world is your friend. |
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13. |
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Do not
interrupt a person when talking on the phone. Not only
is it rude to interrupt any conversation, but if either
of you are on a cell phone, it will cause the sound to
cut in and out. |
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14. |
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Never
tweet, blog, or post information about your company
without express permission from your employer, both in
regard to social media in general and in regard to
specific content. |
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15. |
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A rule of
etiquette that transcends time and media, please and
thank you. Thank people always and often. Always ask
nicely and preface it with please. |
When John Savage
quoted Shakespeare in Brave New World, he was
saddened by the state of civilization. With a little
attention to detail and consideration for others, we can
ensure this brave new world is a shining example of a
technologically savvy and caring people. |
