14. Be civil. I recently erred and "liked" a political post on Facebook. One person, who I would have described as a gentle person, got synical, vicious and rude in their responses.We did discuss the topic for a bit. This absolutely reinforces Lynn's point #2 :-) But you can agree to disagree civily. In fact, I recently saw a poster on FB that read "10% of conflict is due to a difference in opinion and 90% is due to the wrong tone of voice. Since email and social media have no spoken voice, we must choose our words extremely carefully and "hear" how they sound to the reader.

Christopher Pryde Replied on Feb. 5, 2012

Another important point. Tone of messages in the absence of non-verbal queues is tricky business for the writer. She needs to be careful and clear. But I believe that the reader has at least as much responsibility to be careful - she must not assume a tone. This is very difficult. Two devices she can use if she's having difficulty and feels the message may be hostile or otherwise negative:
1. Turn the tone you've assigned "upside down".
2. Return to the message later for a second (or third) assessment.

If the message still seems negative, choose the phone or in person as the way to respond.

Heidi McCarthy Replied on Feb. 5, 2012

You are absolutely right, Christopher. Often times I've received "rude" emails - but re-read them again and seen that the writer was just in a hurry and not really rude. In the case I mentioned above I was super careful in my written responses. My first impulse was anything but civil :-) But I made sure that what I actually sent was.

Lynn Maria Thompson

President, Thompson Writing & Editing, Inc.

Posted on Feb. 5, 2012

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I can give you five, just off the top of my head: 1. Don't yell at people (i.e., type in all caps). 2. Don't talk politics or religion in a business environment. 3. Say "please" and "thank you". 4. Don't air your dirty laundry in public. 5. Don't ignore people trying to have a conversation with you.
How's that for a starter?

Robert Kennedy

Entrepreneur, Online Training Development, RKCS Learning Solutions

Posted on Feb. 5, 2012

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Great answers Lynn. I'll add,
6. Don't monopolize the conversation
7. Listen to what other people have to say
8. Don't insult others simply because you can (your face is not seen)
9. Don't just walk away (leaving a conversation hanging, not responding), state your intent to leave.

THat's all I can think og right now :-)

Christopher Pryde Replied on Feb. 5, 2012

Number 9 is very important. Similarly, ask "Is there anything else I can do for you?" if it is an interaction with a customer. Only when the answer comes back "No, thank you" can the conversation (That's what it is!) be considered over.

Christopher Pryde

Director, IT Operations, UBC Faculty of Medicine

Posted on Feb. 5, 2012

10. Be humble
11. Be sincere
12. Be a patient teacher
13. Be a patient student

Jackie Ulmer

Relationship Marketing Professional, Street Smart Wealth Group Inc

Posted on Feb. 5, 2012

If you wouldn't do it offline, don't do it online!

Norbert Laengrich

CEO, Embedded Galaxy

Posted on Feb. 5, 2012

Previous comments were all very good answer to guide online communications.

If find that It helps to remember that online communication media -- whether TM, IM, email, twitter, or social networks such as Facebook and Focus -- are really just alternate communication methods and one should observe the same rules of etiquette whether communication in-person, by telephone, by FAX, by video conferencing, or by using the above listed online facilities.

Social networks should be viewed as mass communication methods, and hence the same etiquette standards apply as when speaking on radio, television, or to a large gathering.

Of course other online methods such as email, chat, TM, and IM are often 1-2-1 communications so different etiquette rules may apply depending on you relationship with the second party.

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Andrew Baker Replied on Feb. 5, 2012

I think the aspect of mass communication that Norbert was alluding to is its public and persistent nature. Once you put it out there, it's out there, and you have a lot less control over it. Plus, there's no stigma if someone reposts a public message vs a private one, so once you've published something via social media, it has the chance to haunt you as almost nothing else can.

-ASB: http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker

Norbert Laengrich Replied on Feb. 6, 2012

Thanks Steven and Andrew for your comments. I agree that there are clear differences between social networks and broadcast or print media. As Andrews points out there are also many similarities also. The public and persistent nature being a major one. However when considering etiquette, I would hold that much of the same rules of etiquette apply as with other public communication methods.
As an aside, I think your "further filter" should apply to all communications, whether 1-2-1, one to some, or one to many.
You correctly point out that you can curate your audience on social networks, However this is also true of traditional mass media. An ad or article in The New Yorker versus and ad or article in Playboy, for example. But I don't think that tailoring your message to the audience, changes the rules of etiquette. Well...on second thought, maybe using the New Yorker versus Playboy illustration does argue the point of etiquette change.

Craig Brennan

Business Analyst

Posted on Feb. 6, 2012

I'll add this one:
If you have to argue, argue issues, not personalities.

This creates meaningful conflict and results in one of two things: meaningful conflict resolution, or at the very least, an agreement to disagree. Arguing personalities just leads to ad hominem attacks.

CJ Smith

Posted on Feb. 6, 2012

Also you want to remember whatever you write, will follow you forever via the internet so "think twice, type once" to paraphrase the famous carpentering quote "measure twice, cut once."