Texting Etiquette

I’ve had some major life changes happen in the last two months.  As a result, I’ve changed the way I’ve done many things.  One thing that I’ve been doing more of is texting from my cell phone.  Just like email, I’ve noticed that there appears to be some right and wrong things that are being done when people send texts to me.  There are also things that people do that drive me crazy.  So, here’s a few Do’s and Don’ts for all you texters out there:

• Don’t replace all communication with texts.  It’s the same within a business environment as it is with personal relationships, texting cannot communicate those subtle nuances that accompany face-to-face meetings or even phone calls.
• Don’t deliver bad news by text – See the source article below!
• Texts should be short and sweet – Verizon says that anything over 160 characters should be an email.
• Don’t expect your text to get to your recipient the minute you hit “send”.  I’ve seen messages take days to get there.  If it’s time sensitive, call.  I sent one text in reply to one that I received and it was delivered the following day…at least 30 times.  My recipient sent me one back saying, “Make it stop!”
• Don’t send texts while under the influence…bad move.
• Check the recipient’s number BEFORE you hit “send”.  Your boss might not like receiving the love letter you thought you sent to your girlfriend.
• Use texting for messages that cannot be misinterpreted.
• Do not send texts to friends when you are with someone else.  Reading and sending texts when with someone else (while on a date, for example) tells the one you are with they are less important than the one you are texting.  This doesn’t apply when just hanging out with others.
• Do not text while driving — Ever.
• Surveys show that many people find the shorthand messages that others send to them as difficult to read and understand.  Consider using predictive text software that makes texting faster and less frustrating.

What are some best practices for short texts that you can add to this list?

Source:  U r sckd: worker fired by text message

ILRP

Comments

[Jason Manheim]

Honestly, don't text at all. Just pick up the phone and call me. There's nothing so urgent that you have to type a little message to me, and if it is urgent, then call. However, the occasional "I Love You" text to your sweetheart is welcome. :)

[Reg]

I find if I can't communicate my message with some of the preset texts (or the ones I've added). It is better to call or email.
Glad you're posting again.

[Anil]

Texting is way better than just calling. Saves time and is great to keep in touch w/ people. Ever wanted to catch up with an old friend?

My, those can be akward from time to time - texting is personal and removes some of the difficulty in dropping a line.

good advice btw..

[name]

Texting is fun. I prefer it to a call from someone I don't like any day. If I enjoy talking to the person, I'll call them back. If I don't like the person, I'd rather get the sentence long text message and move on.

[Corey]

Thanks for the list, I think an important thing to add is, ask the recipient if they even want to receive your text messages.

I for one don't text and they do cost me $$ (not a lot, but it does adds up) and I think it is just spam when I get them because they don't ever say much...

So asking as a courtesy would be nice.

[Al]

Be aware that not everyone is in love with their phone. Some people only have them because they have to.

Got one thing only to say or ask? Then text. The last thing I want to do is have a fatuous 'So how are you?' conversation with someone when it's perfectly obvious they just want me to answer a question.

(In particular, don't ring me if the answer to your question is going to be "Out for a drink. Later - I'll ring you.", and you already know this perfectly well before you pick the phone up.)

On the other hand, if you've got lots of things to ask or organise or discuss, then for God's sake don't start playing text tennis with me. Just ring me up and we'll be done in about a tenth of the time it would take by text.

Don't expect people to reply to texts straight away.

Similarly, do not either ring or text your partner or friend if you know they are spending time with one other person, thus forcing them to choose whether to ignore the phone or the person they are with.

My opinion of you will go down like a stone if I see any of the following in your text: 'l8r', '2moro', 'u r', '@' in any other place than an email address, ':-)', 'str8'. This list is not exhaustive. Do not expect me to waste my life deciphering this sort of lazy-minded gibberish.

[Mare]

i agree. i hate using the cell phone to text its annoying and time consuming. i do use peekamo a lot at work and at school to send texts because it prevents me from using the phone and its faster, but textin otherwise bothers me. just call. sheeeeesh.

[Jemma]

texting is the worse if ur new to it. i personally know some ppl who can text without looking, but i'll take me minutes to get a good text in. i say just call me.

[Conahan]

Good one Bert!

[Brian]

I've had to have knock-down-drag-outs with a few rabid txtrs. A quick message: "hey, I'm running late...be there in a few" or "have Gary bring me the Smith file" or "what's the answer to question 7?" is FINE. But anything that requires a lengthy response or a response that will just invite another question is better done with a CALL. While many younger txters that have nothing but time on their hands who will be hammering some txt if they're not playing a video game find txting cool...those of us that actually have better things to do with out time find it absolutely RETARDED to be hamming a message where we could have said 20 words in the time it takes to type one letter. Retarded!!!

And as a Criminal Defense Attorney, I can tell these rabid little txters they are making some serious mistakes in many of the things they are putting into their txt messages. The Police are VERY WISE to the mother-load of information they can achieve by getting their hands on an arrestees cell phone or just ordering a transcript from the carrier under the very loose privacy provisions of the Patriot Act. Txt messages do NOT have the privacy protections and they do not have to be monitored in real time like voice communications do!!! And let's not forget the suspicious girlfriend or parent that get's their hands on ur phone!

The young man bragging to his friends about how drunk he was in txt messages just hours before his phone fell into the hands of investigating police at the scene of the fatality accident he had just caused will have those messages shoved so far up his backside he can taste them at his trial!!! True story folks!!!

So for everyone's sake...all u txters need to take a goo long hard look at how you are using these devices!

David Sloane
www.sloanelaw.com