Cyber Etiquette

Manners applied to the Internet and the use of technology in everyday situations. Two examples of breaches of technology etiquette are checking email messages in meetings (usually through some wireless device such as a Bluetooth-enabled handheld) or taking cell phone calls during business lunches.

To avoid such breaches, cell phones should be turned off during business meetings. Also, individuals should avoid using email for personal or sensitive messages, because they can easily be misinterpreted because of a lack of vocal tone and body-language cues. The latter help receivers decode the message more accurately, especially for subtle nuances. Senders should avoid overusing the “reply all” category on email sendouts, limiting the response to only those people requiring follow-up. Also, senders of email should use high-tech shorthand (such as BTW to mean “by the way”) only if they are sure that every member of the audience is familiar with such phrases. Finally, individuals should not take pictures with a camera phone unless there is a legitimate business need and only if permission from the person to be photographed was obtained beforehand.

See Also: Cyber Ethics; Electronic Mail or Email; Internet; Wireless.