SEARCH

Dating AdviceDiscussion BoardsPeopleGroups

FOR:

eHarmony Etiquette

Whenever a new technology appears, a new sort of etiquette must grow up around it. It can be difficult to navigate the unwritten rules so we've created a guide to some of your most common questions.

Whenever a new technology appears on the landscape a new sort of etiquette must grow up around it. It takes a while for people to figure out the unwritten rules that surround the usage of the new tool. For example, somehow it was decided that "Hello" is the standard telephone response to an incoming call. In the early days of email, it was decided that USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF YELLING. Never has this slow definition of etiquette been more apparent than in the world of the Internet. Communicating with total strangers via websites has presented a whole new arena of questions concerning what is appropriate and polite. eharmony takes the issues into a different realm by bringing people together who are interested in personal relationships and therefore want to talk about important, sensitive issues. We are always concerned that eharmony members treat each other with respect and a high degree of etiquette -to that end we want to review a few informal open communication rules and suggestions for you and your matches.

• Set communication guidelines from the beginning - It is always wise to make your first open communication exchange with a match be about the ground rules of discussion. You can decide how many times a week you will be sending messages. You can assure the person that you will let them know if you are unable to communicate for several days. Establishing a small amount of structure makes the process more predictable and comfortable.
• Keep the first few messages short - We realize that after 5 rounds of guided communication you probably have lots of questions for your match. It is better to pepper those questions over several communications than to launch a barrage of quiz-style inquiries. Remember that your match may be communicating with others, in addition to the usual demands of daily life. It may be hard to find the time to respond to a 2,000-word note loaded with questions.

  Page:

  1

  2

  Next >>