If someone breaks rule number 4, don’t respond with just “k.” Unless you want to lose friends and alienate people. Or make them want to destroy their phone.
The same goes for the opposite case: if you’re composing novels to someone, and they’re texting you back with very short replies, take the hint.
This can apply with so many different situations. Everyone knows not to use texts to break up, or to communicate grave injuries. But you also shouldn’t try to get really deep into conversation with an acquaintance / stranger. I recently had someone I barely know text me their life story, and it was more than a bit jarring.
It’s something you can only do ironically. And even if you do that, you have to make it really obvious that it’s ironic, or else you’ll risk looking like an idiot.
dont 4get this rule, b/c u will lose s0 much credibility rofl
There are certain abbreviations that are generally accepted, but make sure you know the meaning of them. Don’t text someone “lol” when they’re going through a crisis, thinking it means “lots of love.”
DOESN’T IT SEEM LIKE I’M SHOUTING AT YOU?!?
If you are really angry to the point where you feel like shouting, it’s probably a conversation that should be saved for another medium.
(Note: the only exception to the past two rules is while you’re live-texting the Game of Thrones season finale to a friend, e.g. OMG I HATE YOU CERSEI STFU WHY DO YOU EXIST.)
Here’s a quick guide to laughter via text.
Ha: use when you don’t really find something funny, and you want to make that fact obvious.
Haha: use when you don’t really find something funny, but you would like to be polite.
Hahaha: use when their text made you smile.
Hahahaha+: use when you sincerely laughed.
HAHA+: one of the few exceptions to the no-caps rule. Use when you find something hysterical.
Lol: Use when you want the sincerity of your laughter to be a mystery. Did you really laugh out loud? Nobody knows! You’re so mysterious!
Okay, let me preface this by saying that with some people, it’s cool if you text. I have a group of friends who are always responding to texts when we’re together, and we’re okay with it, because we hang out all the time.
But if you don’t know how the other person feels about texting etiquette, or you don’t know the person well, just don’t do it. It’s rude and it gives the impression that you don’t particularly care about the other person’s presence.
Another exception: if there’s something really pressing, like, I don’t know, your sister is expected to go into labor any day now, inform your company that you may be checking your phone every so often.
You might walk into a large parked van in front of a crowd of strangers. I may or may not be speaking from personal experience.
This is the biggest rule. Please. Please please, don’t do it.
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