Instant Messenger Etiquette

Nowadays there are quite a few instant messenger programs that one can use to communicate with either family, friends, acquaintances or even co-workers. MSN Messenger, Yahoo, ICQ, AOL, Skype -- take your pick. For some, they've used instant messengers (IM) for quite some time that they learn IM etiquette from others or they wing it and learn on their own. After using IMs for some time now, you get used to the whole "language" used and when you see some who definitely are newbies, you can't help but smile and tell yourself "that one has a lot to learn." So, out of the kindness of my heart, I thought I'd give a few pointers on Instant Messenger Etiquette I found (with the help of someone) on some sites. Hopefully, after reading this, some of you will find it useful.
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Here are some basic etiquette points for instant messaging:

1) Use the “away” feature responsibly. Do not say you are “away” and leave your computer for two hours. You can be away for up to 10 minutes. More than that, you should log off.

2) Respond to comments within 1.5 minutes. If you take longer, other people participating will assume you are gone or you don’t care.

3) If you are in a group conversation and somebody else wants to be invited to join, ask the members of the group if it is ok to include this other person in the conversation. It is rude to impose somebody else’s presence on others.

4) If you use acronyms, make sure the people involved in the conversation know what they mean. Otherwise, your message could be misinterpreted.

5) Say “good bye” before you sign off.

6) Be careful of what you write in your instant messages. Conversations can be saved and used against you at any time. The document can be printed or forwarded to the wrong people. Keep that in mind.

7) Wait for your party’s response. Don’t send message after message asking for response.

8) Don’t type in CAPITALS. It is shouting and it is rude.

9) Use your judgement when you use emoticons. Some of them can be misinterpreted and the conversation can make the wrong turn.

10) If you are in a common room using a computer, turn the sound off to not disturb the others. This gesture is highly appreciated.

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Because of the newer versions of Instant Messengers, some have audibles which one can use for fun. Using it just for the hell of it is ANNOYING. Make sure that you use audibles appropriately.

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Here are more points in Instant Messenging from a Handbook found on the internet.

The Basics of Instant Messaging

The fundamentals of IM are easy to grasp. You simply type something up and hit return and the other person can read it and respond. But even something this simple can lead to confusion, especially when some people opt for acronyms that aren't widely known, think punctuation is largely unnecessary and try to make jokes that have to be explained.

When it comes to simply typing, there are basic rules:

• If you're a fast typist, who enjoys perfect punctuation and can keep up, by all means, let everyone know how fucking perfect you think you are.
  
  
• Typing in all lowercase is perfectly acceptable as a rule, since it's far more efficient and is largely used as the standard. Don't be a star -- be like everyone else.
  
  
• Never type complete thoughts in all caps, unless you want the person on the other end to think you're screaming at them. Yes, every once in a while, using all caps to stress something is fine, provided you DON'T go overboard.

The First Law of Instant Messenger: Instant Messenger is Not Real Communication.
The Second Law of Instant Messenger: Instant Messenger is Not a Venue for Sarcasm.
The Third Law of Instant Messenger: Emoticons Should Be Used Like Punctuation.
The Fourth Law of Instant Messenger: There's Nothing "Fine" About the Word "Fine."
The Fifth Law of Instant Messenger: Never Fight Over Instant Messenger.

I guess no matter which site you go to and read up on IM etiquette, they all pretty much say the same thing.