in this post, i shall reflect about my thoughts about sms etiquette. most people will say things like being clear in the message, use less shortforms, etc. these are all correct answers. and if i may add, it is also about keeping the conversation going. it is about timely responses.
think about this, do you have friends who do not reply smses? or reply a day or two later? how do you feel about it? some of you may be ok with it, but for some, it may be rather irksome. and some of you may justify it as "well, it's a habit". but to me, beyond a certain point, it's no longer about a person's habit, it reflects the person's lack of respect for other people. timely responses to smses is a form of basic courtesy and respect. you reply as a show of respect to the other person. and if you do not have the time, you should at least reply with a "ttyl" or something along that line. right?
it is no different from holding a conversation. you do not leave a person hanging. and in the context of sms, the sms is but a medium through which a conversation is carried out. and if you respect a person, you will give a quick enough respond and keep the conversation going. and if you reply late for whatever reasons, you apologize. you don't take for granted that you have all the time in the world to reply. such attitudes has no place where interpersonal skills are concerned. it's no different from face-to-face conversation.
bottomline, you have to recognize that when people sends an sms, people wants to communicate. ok, ok, communicate is probably too large a word. rephrase - people wants to say something or to have a conversation. and from this perspective, it is important for the receiver to acknowledge or to respond promptly enough for the conversation to flow. no? always have tensions with people who either respond too late or do not respond at all. and worst still, for some people who do not respond, yet expect you to know what they are thinking about and be sensitive to their needs.
anyone any thoughts?
picture from http://ignite4god.com/sms/
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