Why Is Writing Style Important When Communicating Online?
It is important to keep your writing style in mind when communicating online. With each form of online communication--such as email, instant messaging, Facebook and chat--you should maintain the appropriate level of formality and privacy to communicate effectively. Always keep your audience in mind, as well as the format in which you're writing. Different formats offer various ways and lengths at which you can communicate.
Other People Are Reading
-
Facts
-
Your communication style should be based not only on where you are communicating, such as through email, but also on what you want to communicate, says Julia T. Wood, author of "Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters." "Because no single set of skills composes interpersonal communication competence, we need to learn a range of communicative abilities," she writes. Communicating online requires knowledge and practice in several writing styles.
Email
-
Email gives users plenty of room to write. The format is similar to that of a letter or note. When writing emails, first consider whom you are writing to. If you are writing an email to your boss, keep your writing style informative and professional. Write it as if you are writing a formal letter that will be kept in your personal file for future reference, because, frankly, it will be.
When writing to a co-worker, your messages can be more conversational. However, avoid sending offensive materials or argumentative messages. Remember, management often monitors office Internet networks.
Emails among friends outside the workplace can be as casual as you want them to be. If you know your friend well, you can say anything to him that you would say in person or on the phone.
-
Facebook and MySpace
-
The most important factor to keep in mind when sending messages on a community network such as Facebook or Myspace is that unless you are sending a private message, the public can view your communications. Don't say anything that you don't mind the rest of the world knowing.
Writing styles are important when communicating on these sites because you want your friends and family to feel a sense of your relationship with them through your interactions. You also need to walk the thin line of not providing too much information for the world to see.
IM
-
Instant messages are casual, one-on-one conversations held in real time on the Internet, unlike chat rooms, in which multiple conversations between individuals take place at the same time in the same place, IMs are private messages you share with individuals. When writing IMs, write concise sentences to sum up what you want to express.
Grammar in IMs is just as important as it is in emails. However, chat/IM language is often more abbreviated. For example, "cu l8ter" is a commonly accepted way of saying "see you later" in IMs and chat rooms.
Online Etiquette
-
There are many etiquette factors to keep in mind when communicating online, which will affect your ability to communicate properly. As a general rule, always use proper grammar and spelling. This is the first representation others see of you online. If you can't spell correctly, it sends a negative message to others.
Also, try to respond to messages within 24 hours. IMs should be responded to more quickly because they take place in real-time. Waiting weeks to respond to a person sends a message that you don't think he is important or that you might be avoiding him.
-
References
- Photo Credit computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com
