BlackBerry Etiquette!

Years after BlackBerry use, it's about time we set the BlackBerry Etiquette manual:    

1- Girls will have boys on they BlackBerry messenger list. Boys will have girls on their BlackBerry messenger list. And guess what! They chat, oh yes. They talk together! The girls, with the boys... So for all of the couples or couples to be, cut those jealousy crises! You got over your partner having people from the opposite sex on Facebook and msn? BlackBerry is not any different!

2- If you change your display picture 300 times a second, people will not notice you more. However, if you change it to prove a mood or show how pretty you are, it's ok. (Please stop digging into the "ugly photos" gallery! We all have cute pictures where we look good!)

3- Now for the cranky ones who complain about picture changes, status messages updates and name edits; cut your negative vibes. Those options are built-in with the BlackBerry phone, therefore they are made to be used... and abused! Bothered? Disable the "Recent Updates"!

Please note that guys who over update those, however, might reflect a wrong image. Such options were created to be used by guys, abused by girls.

4- If you want to play "hide and seek" or "hard to get", play it smartly! Try not to make any public moves (ie updates) while you're in the middle of the game. People might catch you on action and you might lose your game!

5- Moving to the "invisible" mode... When you're not in the mood, I advise you not to put a status such as "Do Not Disturb" or "Crappy Mood". Apparently such statuses make your "I talk to you once a year" friend become your "next" BFF! As if people with crappy mood have enough patience to "talk about it" with the 101 psychiatrist contacts they have!

6- BlackBerry messenger is cursed to show an "R" once the message is "read"... Just like the "read receipt" in the Outlook e-mail. Only difference here: you can not disable it! Consider it a gift, or a curse... But the important is to use it smartly!

7- Is it sleeping time for you? Cool! It's not for others. Now put your phone on silent because people do not have to stick to your schedule! If your phone rings and someone wakes you up, you don't rant because YOU forgot to activate the silent mode. It's not different for BlackBerry messenger users! People will send messages anytime because they have something to say and they might forget it during your 8 hours of sleep! Basically they all expect you to be smart enough to put your phone on silent and read it when you wake up. You didn't? Oh well, pay the price!

8- Broadcasts oh broadcasts! Though I agree that broadcasting the game scores of the "LIVE" soccer game is annoying, broadcasts are fun!  Some can't live with them, others can't live without them... Yet again: they also are part of the BlackBerry messenger package... You are free to read them, delete them and ignore them! But people will still send them anytime, anywhere! It really doesn't matter if you're in a bad mood, at a wedding, at a funeral or simply sleeping. A broadcast is sent randomly to all. Live with it!

The only broadcasts not allowed actually are the "false" news ones. Such as: "The President of the USA is dead". Seriously? Are you sure? Please double check such info before broadcasting!

9- If you can't control the broadcasts, you can however control your reactions to the broadcasts:

- When you receive a broadcast about someone who needs blood, do not message back asking nosey questions such as: "who, what, when, why"?! Someone who needs blood for a loved one is probably eager for a positive reply and has no time for chit-chats!
    - When you receive a funny broadcast, no need for a "lol" and a "hehe" as a reply. We know you read it (don't we all read our messages after all?), we know it's funny (we sent it). A reply with a funnier joke or comment is the best in such cases!

10- Let's not forget the addiction symptom: Blackberry users are addicts. It's a fact, live with it... Now when people are talking to you, you check your messages, giggle, broadcast jokes and tell them: proceed, I'm used to this and I can focus on my phone and you. And you do focus on your phone, and them. Right? Now take a note: ALL BlackBerry users are multi-talented. I, for instance, remove my BlackBerry from hands only when I'm with my son or driving (or maybe on a fantastic date). I shop, spend time with my friends, watch TV, cook, have a drink, work, write, etc... with my BlackBerry in hand! I even wrote this blog on my BlackBerry device!

The list is still long...

    - Don’t start a conversation you have no time to continue

    - Don’t shout at people if they greet you and you’re too busy to reply (simply ignore the message or reply later!)

    - Don’t take every status update as addressed to you; the world does NOT revolve around you

    - Don’t steal people’s fun displays and use them at the same time (without permission), wait at least a day or two!

And in the middle of all this chaos and these basic etiquette rules… don’t forget to enjoy the BlackBerry messenger for the fun it brings into your lives and the way it lets you stay intouch with your loved ones!