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Sensibilities and Sense: Communicating Professionally Online
by Robin Kear
Many of us subscribe to three, four, or even more professional discussion lists. There are general library lists for your career track, for national, regional, and state association committees or interest groups, and for specific aspects of librarianship; larger libraries may even have internal ones. There is a list for practically every conceivable library need, interest, or notion. How many of us, though, have been trained to use these unique communication forums? Most of us learn it on the fly, take cues from unwritten e-mail etiquette, and/or rely on our professional good sense.
Although the tool discussed here is the traditional discussion list, these communication tips transfer to other online forums such as chat rooms, bulletin boards, groups, and blogs.
Discussion List Etiquette
Most professional etiquette tips are universal: be polite, treat others as you would like to be treated, don’t shout, discuss problems, and work towards a solution. Naturally, we all lapse in professional judgment from time to time, but we all aspire to be thought of as professional. All of these etiquette rules apply to online communication, but, of course, there are a few twists.
When you first subscribe to a list or group, take time to discover the tone and check the archives to see what has been discussed. Your question may already be answered there. After you have received answers to a question through the list, a summary of responses posted to the list is courteous, and sometimes expected.
Take the time to compose a message thoughtfully. Use your e-mail spell check and grammar check options. These are public forums: fairly or unfairly, you are being judged. If the message is long, leave the portion you are responding to and cut out what is unnecessary. As with individual e-mail messages, avoid sarcasm and be cautious with humor, as this can be misinterpreted. Messages are sometimes better sent to an individual than the whole list. But remember, the individual can always choose to send your private response to the public list.
Unfortunately and obviously, one of the major drawbacks to online forums is that you can’t see or hear the person speaking. The nuances and cues of non-verbal communication are non-existent. In one communications workshop, I heard that effective communication breaks down as follows: 7% verbal, 35% vocal, and 58% visual. If this statement is even remotely true, we are receiving a very small percentage of the total communication picture through online interaction. You begin to form a picture of the person with whom you are communicating that may be inaccurate or one-dimensional. Others on the list also begin to perceive who you are, based only on your words.
Personal vs. Professional
I compare some of the posts I have seen to road rage: an immediate heated reaction to someone’s perceived infringement on your personal sensibilities. It is always beneficial to stop and think a minute about what you are actually saying and how your words may be perceived. It can be hard for those on the list to pick up your true intent. A good barometer is, would you speak in such a way if the person were standing in front of you? There might be a different way to make your point.
NEWLIB-L, an e-mail list for new librarians, is very active compared to other discussion lists on which I lurk. The most heated debate occurs when personal topics are touched upon, including gender politics, sexism, political leanings, etc. Naturally, these topics affect our view of the profession, how we live our everyday lives and how we wish the world to be, but professional courtesy must be especially strong at these times. If you start discussing your personal life in your post (unless the thread is biographical in nature), chances are you are not remaining professional.
To illustrate my meaning, these quotes are deliberately taken out of context:
“This isn't snobbery or even elitism - it's fascism...With all due respect as a professional, how dare you?” - 6/19/04 NEWLIB-L
“I am appalled and disgusted at your attitude...” - 6/19/04 NEWLIB- L
“A piece of advice, leave your personal politics out of your professional life.” - 6/19/04 NEWLIB-L
Words of Caution
New professionals can keep in mind that most discussion lists are open to anyone who signs up. Librarians who serve on hiring committees, library directors, and heads of departments certainly subscribe to general and specific lists of their own. They may even monitor lists dedicated to new professionals to see who is making an impact, either positively or negatively. Be especially cautious if you are actively seeking employment. When you submit your resume, they may remember your name and have negative associations with any unprofessional online behavior. Through your professionalism online, you want employers to have a positive impression and one more reason to hire you.
Are you using your employer’s e-mail system to communicate online? If so, you should be especially conscious of what you are writing and contributing. You are contributing as an individual librarian, but you are also creating perceptions about your institution in the process.
Your posts do not disappear into a black hole; they leave a trail leading back to you. Usually, they live on in search engine crawlable archives. They will pop up when you least expect them. Like a bad tattoo, completely removing their presence is almost impossible. Most potential employers now do an Internet search on your name to gain insight on your personality. If you participate in name-calling on an e-mail list, how will you act in their library?
One last comment: please, please, please always use the administrative e-mail address to unsubscribe from a discussion list, NOT the list address. When your name and request to unsubscribe goes out to the whole list, it looks unprofessional and implies that you do not understand the software.
Positive Impact
Professional discussion lists and other online forums are a justified and productive use of workday time. They are a great source of professional development, and contributing makes you feel like an active member of the library community. You learn what others in the field are thinking and talking about and can then explore those issues. You might even be the first to learn something and share it with colleagues. Online forums can also be excellent grassroots tools and powerful unifying forces. Although discussion lists are sometimes severe, and members occasionally act unprofessionally, they are generally positive learning tools.
Additional Resources
Robin Kear is currently a reference librarian at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. She admits to being an active list lurker. She is also willing to respond to any questions/comments about this article: rkear@excite.com.