Tips for IM etiquette

2 women with a computer Instant messaging has become a way of life for many people. Chatting to friends and colleagues while the computer is on is as natural as talking on the phone. As Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger celebrates its 10th birthday, communication expert Judi James shares her top tips for IM etiquette

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Always think about whom you are talking to and adapt your language and writing style appropriately. Exclamation marks and smiley faces can irritate some people, but others love them. If in doubt, try once or twice and if they're not reciprocated, drop them.

Be aware of how you sign off. Abruptly ending the conversation without saying goodbye or indicating you are ending the session is poor etiquette.

Be careful when using humour or sarcasm as the meaning can sometimes be lost without tone, facial expressions or body language. If in doubt reread the message before sending and think about how you would interpret it if it were sent to you.

Erich Lagasse (not verified) replied 15 weeks 4 days ago

We use IM at work because a few colleagues work from home. Not only does IM help us communicate in 'real-time', but we can also keep an archive of our conversations. We developed a guide http://academy.justjobs.com/dont-suck-at-instant-messaging to use this tool more effectively. I hope it helps. - Erich