It’s a sort of “handy” guide to maintaining good digital etiquette or “netiquette.”
Turk explains that the “instant gratification” brought by texting and e-mail has “caused us to forget the old-fashioned rules of polite discourse.” She told the New York Post, “When it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter what digital medium you’re using or what the context is. It all comes back to . . . just thinking about other people first.”
With that being said, she has a few tips that will help lead all of us a into a new age of digital etiquette. Netiquette.
-No more punctuation at the end of text messages.
Turk says, “At the end of the text message, it’s very clear that the text message is finished. Putting a period at the end just to finish the sentence is sort of redundant.”
-No more “replying all.”
Does everyone on the email chain need this information?
-Email is not instant messenger.
It shouldn’t be expected to receive an immediate answer. Turk says “It’s not supposed to be an immediate back-and-forth conversational tool.”
-Respect downtime.
“If you wouldn’t expect someone to come into the office to do their job at that time, why are you expecting them to do it at home?”
-Emojis and exclamation points are good, in moderation
Turk says emojis “can help get your tone across, because that’s super difficult in email.” However, don’t go overboard because “people are going to make assumptions about you based on your writing style.”
-Never (ever!) leave a voicemail.
“There’s absolutely no purpose for voicemails in the modern age,” says Turk. “You have no idea what to expect from them, they could go on for minutes, you might have to reach for a pen to jot down some information, and it’s super inefficient and inconvenient.” She suggests sending an email or text instead.
-Schedule all calls, even with your friends
“When you receive a phone call you’re not expecting, it throws you off guard,” she says. “It’s almost intrusive.”
-Don’t read and ignore
Turk says you are under “no obligation” to turn on your Read Receipts, but if you do have them, “don’t leave people hanging.”
Via NY Post