Texting etiquette question

[Hemlock65]

When you are texting with close friends/family (not a casual text to someone you don't see often or know well) do you always text "Hi XXX" before your message? I have one friend who always responds with Hi! first, followed by her message. She insists it’s rude to not say hi before a message. Am I being rude by not saying their name or Hi first?

*please don‘t respond to this question if you‘re under the age of 20

 

[rhonda]

I generally start with "Howdy!" or similar. I don't use their name ... but somehow take comfort in starting with a greeting and a transition rather than barging directly into the message.

 

[silentg]

Hi I usually say it on TUG too!

 

[paxsarah]

The more frequently I text someone, the less likely I am to start with “Hi xxx.” So my husband, kids, sister, SIL, parents of my school-age kids’ friends with whom I regularly schedule get-togethers, etc - generally don’t get a preliminary greeting. People whom I rarely text or am texting for the first time, yes, it’s a good indicator that I know who I’m communicating with.

 

[geekette]

it is informal communication so I don't think there is an etiquette breach no matter how you do it.

 

[needvaca]

not rude at all not to say hi.
However, I usually do if I'm texting someone I haven't texted in weeks/month, like for playdates for my kids or distant friends

 

[PrairieGirl]

I usually start with Hey xxx to close friends and Hi to others

 

[am1]

I get annoyed by people who text "hi" wait for a response and then text what they should have texted originally.

 

[goaliedave]

I'm with your friend, it is polite to start 1-on-1 conversations with a Hello x, im wondering blah blah blah

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk

 

[geist1223]

No hi or any other greeting.

 

[DaveNV]

I start with a greeting, then add my message on the same text. To just launch into the message without a greeting is rude, especially if it's someone I haven't communicated with in some time.

Sort of how I end every post on Tug with my name. Yes, it's right there with my avatar, and yes, it was me sending it, but to not sign off the posting is kind of like not saying Goodbye when you hang up on a phone call. To just hang up is also rude.

Dave (See - I did it again! )

 

[Passepartout]

With personal texts or email, I usually start with a 'Hi', but here and on social media, I just plunge right in with the message.

 

[klpca]

The only thing that would ever bother me with a text is stupid abbreviations such "r u" instead of "are you". That makes me want to poke out my eyes. Otherwise I don't care at all. Unless you're not in my contract list, I know that it's you when I receive your message. Emails require more formalities, imo. Texting is far more casual to me, with very few rules.

 

[Passepartout]

Sort of how I end every out on Tug with my name. Yes, it's right there with my avatar, and yes, it was me sending it, but to not sign off the posting is kind of like not saying Goodbye when you hang up on a phone call. To just hang up is also rude.

Dave (See - I did it again! )

Oops. I don't put my name on every post- or just make it a sig file Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Get over it.

I have a basic problem with etiquette. My dog gives me 'the look' when I invite perfect strangers into the house while he barks without even sniffing their behind or their breath to see what they had for lunch. What an uncultured cad.

OK- here it is. . . .

Jim

 

[goaliedave]

The only thing that would ever bother me with a text is stupid abbreviations such "r u" instead of "are you". That makes me want to poke out my eyes. Otherwise I don't care at all. Unless you're not in my contract list, I know that it's you when I receive your message. Emails require more formalities, imo. Texting is far more casual to me, with very few rules.

I c u rel8 2 oldschool comms

Sent from my SM-A505G using Tapatalk

 

[moonstone]

For people (including extended family) that I don't text often, I always start with a Hi, Hiya or something similar, then start right into my message in the same text. One of our sons always starts his text with "Hey"! The other son, if he wants to ask a question or a favor, starts with "So, I was wondering...…"


~Diane

 

[DaveNV]

So then what about punctuation and capitalization in texts? I know people who seem to forget they ever went to school when texting. And then here I come, the texting Grammar Police. Note my sentences start with a capital letter and end with some punctuation mark. May be overkill, and may be me showing my age, but my 7th grade English teacher, Miss Hazel Brown, (the original spinster schoolmarm, bless her iron-clad heart), would be proud of all those A's she gave me. I earned them. I also learned, and still try as hard as I can to remember what she taught me.

It's only autocorrect that makes me sound like the Village Idiot. LOL!

Dave

 

[easyrider]

If I'm starting the text chain I usually say Hi or something like Hey Dummy depending on who it is. If I'm answering I just answer. Never really thought about it. Maybe I will do a text with no greeting next time.

I case it comes up, I never text bye. Sometimes ok but usually nothing.

Bill

 

[rhonda]

If I'm texting from my iPhone 6S, I type all lowercase. For whatever reason (some deeply hidden setting, I'm sure), the phone always wants to correct/change my use of upper/lower case and I'm weary of fighting it.

If texting from my 5S, my iPad or my laptop ... I use full sentences with proper case and punctuation. There is just something goofy about my 6S and its forceful auto-correct tendancies. Someday, soon I hope, I'll upgrade from the 6S to either the 8 or XR ... or ... ???

So then what about punctuation and capitalization in texts? I know people who seem to forget they ever went to school when texting. And then here I come, the texting Grammar Police. Note my sentences start with a capital letter and end with some punctuation mark. May be overkill, and may be me showing my age, but my 7th grade English teacher, Miss Hazel Brown, (the original spinster schoolmarm, bless her iron-clad heart), would be proud of all those A's she gave me. I earned them. I also learned, and still try as hard as I can to remember what she taught me.

It's only autocorrect that makes me sound like the Village Idiot. LOL!

Dave

 

[geekette]

So then what about punctuation and capitalization in texts? I know people who seem to forget they ever went to school when texting. And then here I come, the texting Grammar Police. Note my sentences start with a capital letter and end with some punctuation mark. May be overkill, and may be me showing my age, but my 7th grade English teacher, Miss Hazel Brown, (the original spinster schoolmarm, bless her iron-clad heart), would be proud of all those A's she gave me. I earned them. I also learned, and still try as hard as I can to remember what she taught me.

It's only autocorrect that makes me sound like the Village Idiot. LOL!

Dave

Oh good golly, I can do it right, but so often my fingers are keeping pace with brain speak and not backing up to cap the first letter of a sentence. For formal communications, I'm on it. Otherwise, eh.. if my meaning is clear, I'm not going back to fix. I don't spellcheck, either, except, again, formal comm.

Many times I'm not looking at the screen as fingers do their magic because a lot of my thinking is best done looking at blank wall or some unremarkable object near me. not sure why that is, but for me, it is. Unless the fingers launched from the wrong keys at the get go and it's pure gibberish, I don't bother with fixes.

One thing I don't do is load up on obscure acronyms. I think I got my fill of that in the workplace (last job was nuts on this, assuming everyone knew what was meant, but really, only the folks that had been there for decades would have had any way to know).

Not being a texter, there are a lot of acronyms used there that I'm not going to know.

 

[geekette]

What do y'all think about creating a term for this, textiquette?

 

[geist1223]

To start with I only exchange texts with friends and family. So no punctuation. No signs offs. No salutations. Except to Patti - professing my Love for her. If you want all that other stuff send me a letter or email.

 

[DaveNV]

Oh heck no, I'm not saying it's for everyone. And I'm ok if others choose not to do it. I don't have to like it, it's just how it is. I don't correct the speech or typing of others, only myself. Obviously, I'm often the odd man out, especially with the younger texting crowd. But I can't just type badly and hit Send. My OCD typist freaks out over things like that. Probably comes from a career of sitting in front of a keyboard - as a computer operator, programmer, and data analyst, accuracy in typing is vital. It follows then, that my texting habits are as fussy.

I blame the Navy. And Miss Brown. LOL!

Dave

 

[Helaine]

I learned from the kids so I never use Hello, Hi or a name - unless it's someone I'm texting for the very first time. I don't use a signature or my name at the end either - again unless it's the very first time I've texted them and want to make sure they know it's me.

 

[Quiet Pine]

For me, texting isn't the place to be chatty. Short, succinct, to the point, straight info. My first-ever text was to my kids, and I was scolded for "talking" too much.