It’s more than just being polite - the truth is that I’ve lost and gained friendships by peoples choice’s to either communicate with or without manners in our world of tech-talk. If you’re someone who has a clue, it should be evident that the manners of common sense or common courtesy have been generally abandoned in the arena of conversation and communication in general. That I, of all people am writing on manners of communication proves just how bad our culture has gotten. As a result, the purpose of this podcast is not to encourage us to rebuild the greatness of 18th century articulation of everyday dialogue from French culture, but to merely crawl out of the grammatical hole it seems we have buried ourselves in. Hopefully we can start communicating to each other as if we actually gave a rip. Some might say that I'm considering manners to be more drastic than they should be, Maybe they're right. But maybe they’re wrong, Maybe the emphasis on manners isn't drastic enough. For I pose to you that manners, at the very least, are graces of God given to all, that allow us to practically and continually show love to each other and at the most, a tool that God has given His children to build up and enlarge His Kingdom. If our love of God can be measured by our love for one another, shouldn’t we place a drastically high value on manners?
1. Respond when contacted! Or in other words, RSV freaking P! Seriously, what the hell is wrong with some people? If I were to bump into you at the grocery store, say hello and ask how you were doing only to see you snub me and walk by, I’d determine you had become blind, deaf, mute, or had experienced some sort of massive head trauma since our last meeting. Yet, people do this all the time in tech-talk and are further deluded into thinking that is goes unnoticed. In case you were raised by a pack of wolves, I’ll let you in on a lil’ secret and hopefully blow your mind. When someone writes you for whatever reason, your obliged to respond. If you chose not to, people with souls normally consider it rude. Those who respond to each other like mentally healthy individuals greet one other with a smile and a common, “How are you doing?” To not do this in the world of technological dialogue is no different than to not do it in the real. And yes, you must respond to group messages too. It’s not too hard - If you have time to view 10 Child Stars Who Went From Fab to Drab , then you have time to respond when someone writes you.
2. Apologize if you respond late. Apologize - it’s a simple acknowledgment of a failure. Try it with sincerity sometime because late is better than never.
3. Follow the basic rules of grammar. Since you learned syntax in third grade please spell correctly and use complete sentences like a big boy so we know what the freak you’re trying to say.
4. Don’t use lame abbreviations. Shortened forms for stupid sentiments like LOL, and ROFL, and IMFAO are just dumb. First of all, no one is rolling on the floor laughing and secondly, there’s no need to abbreviate and further encrypt one’s message. You can be curt without coming across as illiterate or immature.
5. Don't text “ha” for no reason. I've had so many text messages that either start or end with a completely out of place “ha” or “ha ha” that now it seems out of place if it’s missing. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone wrote me: “Hey man, pray for my Grandmother. She rolled down the stairs, broke her hip and is slipping into a coma - Ha. Thanks.”
6. Be careful when using sarcasm. Derisive jokes are rarely interpreted as meant.
7. Be the first to greet and last to say goodbye. If you request to be somebody’s friend on Facebook or any other site like it, be the first to say hello and give a greeting. Yet, if you were requested to be somebody’s friend on Facebook (FB) you should still be one to initiate communication. Strangely, I’ve had people request to be my friend. After I then accept their entreaty I spark the greeting of conversation only to have some of them see my note and not reply. Within the grace period of a few days, these people are then quickly de-friended. And quite frankly they should be imprisoned for their crimes against common sense. Seriously, someone asks to be my friend - I kindly respond, and they don’t have decency to write back a simple “hello”? Maybe I’m overreacting or maybe I’m just growing tired of being befriended on FB just so people can view my photos and feast their eyes on my body. This piece of meat actually wants a relationship - even if it is relegated to FB.
8. These rules apply to everyone. Whether you’re a hot-shot with over 5000 friends on Facebook (who, by the way should never make a Fan Page) or some loner that’s too cool, these rules apply to us all. I’ve had successful communication with people like Tim LaHaye, (pastor, speaker, and author of multiple best-selling books - one series having sold over 65 million copies) Dinesh D'Souza, (commentator, author, filmmaker, and Christian apologist, who served as an advisor to Ronald Reagan) and others because thankfully they knew that no one is above showing proper communicative etiquette to anyone else. If these accomplished and humble men could take the time and effort, as small as it may have been to respond to me, then you and I have the same responsibility to respond to all those who reach out to us regardless of their age, maturity level, or popularity with common manners of communication that should suit everyone who holds relationships of high value and believes that what they write or chose not to write actually matters.