Tracey Alley's Blog - Posts Tagged "manners"
Internet Manners and Etiquette
I'll be honest - prior to publishing my books online I'd never spent any time in internet forums or chat rooms and really knew nothing about the electronic world. The internet, to me, was basically Google, Internet banking and email. However, when I published my books that all began to change. I joined a few forums, got a Facebook page and Twitter account and at first it was all very exciting. I'd had no idea this world existed.
Now, however, I'm becoming a little saddened and jaded by some of the behaviour I'm seeing in different internet forums. I had a couple of friends who used internet dating sites and would tell me horror stories about people's rude and bad behaviour on those sites and I tended to think they were exaggerating. Now I know better.
While there's a vast majority of people who participate in internet sites that show manners, decorum and class there is also, unfortunately, a small minority who seem to have no idea or do not care about how they behave. Rudeness and bad manners are still unacceptable behaviour even if it is done in the privacy of your own home. Think for a second - would you really speak that way to someone you met on the street or to someone who invited you into their home?
The anonymity of the internet does not give anyone a license to engage in aggressive, rude or poor behaviour. Obviously there are people in the 'real world' who do behave badly. Yet I cannot help but think it appears that the internet offers a kind of security blanket to people who would, perhaps, otherwise know and behave better.
There are still many forums, Goodreads among them, that I would highly recommend but sadly there is a growing list of those that I would not. Perhaps it's just a sad indictment on the society we find ourselves living in.
Now, however, I'm becoming a little saddened and jaded by some of the behaviour I'm seeing in different internet forums. I had a couple of friends who used internet dating sites and would tell me horror stories about people's rude and bad behaviour on those sites and I tended to think they were exaggerating. Now I know better.
While there's a vast majority of people who participate in internet sites that show manners, decorum and class there is also, unfortunately, a small minority who seem to have no idea or do not care about how they behave. Rudeness and bad manners are still unacceptable behaviour even if it is done in the privacy of your own home. Think for a second - would you really speak that way to someone you met on the street or to someone who invited you into their home?
The anonymity of the internet does not give anyone a license to engage in aggressive, rude or poor behaviour. Obviously there are people in the 'real world' who do behave badly. Yet I cannot help but think it appears that the internet offers a kind of security blanket to people who would, perhaps, otherwise know and behave better.
There are still many forums, Goodreads among them, that I would highly recommend but sadly there is a growing list of those that I would not. Perhaps it's just a sad indictment on the society we find ourselves living in.
Manners Please!
Lately I've been hearing horror stories about the general view of what constitutes good manners in society. I'll admit that I had pretty strict parents, manners were compulsory. I just can't understand why simple good manners seem to be going out the window - are we too lazy, too self-centred, not brought up right [dodges stones being thrown]? I just don't get it.
How much effort does it really take to smile, say please and thank you or excuse me? Are you really that busy that you can't send a simple RSVP - and I'm talking serious events here involving catering like weddings and engagement parties? Is it really so hard to write a simple 'thank you' note when someone's gone to the trouble of finding you a gift? Heck even a phone call would be nice.
I realise that our society is speeding up and everyone of us struggles each day to get everything done but we're talking simple five minute exercises here, some even less. Do we as a society really have that little time?
Personally I think we're all starting to just plain get lazy and the internet offers so many opportunities for laziness. Offering a blanket 'thanks' on your Facebook website is not very personal and, in my opinion, not really very well mannered.
Rant over - I guess I just needed to vent.
How much effort does it really take to smile, say please and thank you or excuse me? Are you really that busy that you can't send a simple RSVP - and I'm talking serious events here involving catering like weddings and engagement parties? Is it really so hard to write a simple 'thank you' note when someone's gone to the trouble of finding you a gift? Heck even a phone call would be nice.
I realise that our society is speeding up and everyone of us struggles each day to get everything done but we're talking simple five minute exercises here, some even less. Do we as a society really have that little time?
Personally I think we're all starting to just plain get lazy and the internet offers so many opportunities for laziness. Offering a blanket 'thanks' on your Facebook website is not very personal and, in my opinion, not really very well mannered.
Rant over - I guess I just needed to vent.
