How to Improve Online Communication
In an age of instant messaging and texting, the human element can be lost in a sea of emails. Without the nuance of vocal inflection and facial expression, messages can be misunderstood. Maybe a "BFF" is harboring unspoken resentment thanks to a few thoughtless comments you left on her Facebook page. The email you thought expressed slight annoyance can be read by another as abject outrage. Before you know it, relationships you thought were solid are now suffering.
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Instructions
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Put people before technology. As Virginia Shea says in her book "Netiquette," "Remember the human." Gazing at a computer screen typing yet another of many emails may cause you to forget that words do indeed mean something, and the recipient of those words is a human being, not the "Send" button.
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Communicate online the same as you would in person. The same civility should be practiced in online communications as when you are face-to-face with an individual.
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Avoid unnecessary font styles, font colors or background "stationery." Technology may offer a variety of expressive tools you feel convey your individualism. Too often, unconventional stylings merely detract from your message.
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Check your sources before sharing information with others. Journalists are trained to confirm the information they are given by checking independent sources. Use the same practice of cross-referencing quotes, assertions or emails warning you of a deadly virus before sharing these communications with others. Search for key phrases found in emails you receive using popular search engines. You may quickly discover you are being duped by an emailer or website that is actually an Internet hoax.
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Do not forward every memorable quote, funny video or heart-wrenchingly inspirational story to your friends. The more information you "pass along" to others, the less value your personal communication has. People value a message sent directly from you to them. When you continually send messages not originally from you, they no longer expect your communication to be personal, and will eventually ignore you.
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Avoid acronyms. BFF (best friend forever), IMHO (in my humble opinion) LOL (laughing out loud) may have once communicated how net-savvy you are, but now only serve as an impediment to interpersonal communication being treated with the respect it deserves. Not everyone knows what these acronyms mean.
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Overlook the mistakes of others. Those who have not yet discovered "Netiquette" require the same patience from you as exercised by others when you too were ignorant of how your communication was being perceived.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit online image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com
