submit to reddit
  • Don’t use programs that autofollow anyone who follows you on Twitter. It’s a social network not a robot network.
  • Don’t broadcast messages on Twitter using bots. You’ll just damage your brand, personal or corporate.
  • Don’t send friend requests on DIGG and then abuse the privilege with constant shout outs. Every day is too many, for chrissake.
  • Don’t send an email that says “TTYL” after the previous email completed a conversation. Or “thanks again” or “take care.” We are drowning in email. Yes, mom said to always be polite. Sending less emails is polite 2.0. If you must have the last word, change the subject line to “TTYL, end” so the person knows they don’t need to read your 10th damn “goodbye” email.
  • If you’re a sending a pitch, (business service, PR, report, etc etc) don’t address the email “Hey”, “Hey again,” “Yo”, “All”, Dear [ ], “Dear Blogger”, or “Dear First_Name”. Don’t say “Dear Mr Ochman.” Say “Dear B.L.” or “Hi B.L.” if you don’t know me, and are too lazy to look at my photo on my blog or website, and are not sure if I’m male or female. I think I speak for most people when I say that I prefer informality to a sex change operation.
  • Do not send endless messages via Facebook, etc. You’re not that interesting.
  • Don’t IM unless you have something to say that I might actually want or need to know and that really can’t wait for an email response.
  • Do not send huge “hilarious” video files in email. If they aren’t on YouTube or somewhere else you can link to, ask before emailing an attachment. If you want to share a video you made yourself, upload it to a file-sharing site and send a link.
  • Check Snopes.com before you send an email about the inventor of penicillin who gave an apple to someone’s daughter, or whatever that stupid email was about that went around recently.
  • Use “Bcc” – not open lists – for emails sent to several people. Do not forward email without deleting the name and email and other extraneous information from the person who sent it first.
  • Do not send freaking chain letters, or anything that says “Forward this to 10 people in the next 10 minutes or your left ear will fall off.” Ever. And don’t send petitions in email – all of the legitimate ones are online. Send a link.

Did I miss anything?
Posted by B.L. Ochman