A text messaging (and mobile phone use in general) grows in popularity, excitement over using new technology clashes head-on with common courtesy, not surprisingly giving rise to a mobile-phone manners backlash. So to help you avoid texting mistakes, here is a Top 10 list of texting tips.

Common courtesy still rules. Contrary to popular belief,composing a text message while you're in a face-to-face conversation with someone is just about as rude as taking a voice call.

Remember that text messages are informal. Text messaging shouldn't be used for formal invitations or to dump your girlfriend or boyfriend. The casualness of text message diminishes the strength and meaning of the message.

Don't get upset if you don't get a reply. Before you text someone and get frustrated at the lack of a response, be sure that they're familiar with how to use the service, and that their carrier will accept messages from yours.

Be aware of your tone. It is extremely difficult to discern tone in text messages, just as in e-mail. What seems to you to be a completely innocuous message may be grossly misinterpreted by the recipient, causing certain discomfort if not irreparable harm.

Don't text message while you're driving. Talking on the phone is bad enough. You won't know what hit you - or what you hit - if you are pounding out a message on your keyboard.

Leave the slang to the kids. Don't expect your stodgy superiors at work to be hip to the lingo of the text message streets. And don't expect to win points with your kids by trying to be cool, either.

If it's immediate, make a voice call. If you can't get through and your textMarch 20, 2009->March 20, 2009does have an off button. There are very, very few things in the world that absolutely cannot wait.

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© March 20, 2009
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