Online civility

- We all know the internet is wrought … with ugly posts, comments, and blogs. … And we've all received a nasty email or two, … if not sent a few ourselves. … It happens. … The underlying problem is that, … when you type an email, … you're looking at a computer screen and not a person. … This makes it hard to empathize with the recipient, … which is much easier … when we can see their facial expressions. … That lack of nonverbal communication … also means the email can easily be misinterpreted. … I actually had a college student … who told me he was demoted … after sending his boss an email in all caps. … The boss said it was insubordination to yell. … A good rule of thumb is to never send an email … when you're angry, stressed, anxious, … or having a disagreement. … Also, never deliver bad news, reprimand someone, … or discuss consequences in an email. … All of that deserves at least a phone call. … Now here are some good rules of thumb for being civil. … Don't check your phone or send emails during meetings. …