Computer technology wasn’t around when we were growing up and going through University. After all, the first productive personal computer program (the spreadsheet, VisiCalc) appeared in 1979, and the public Internet (World Wide Web) began in 1991, when we were already over 40 years old !
Whereas our children and grandchildren have grown up with the technology, and are more familiar with what is acceptable (and unacceptable) behaviour.
You may wish to use a search engine such as Google, or Artificial Intelligence such as ChatGPT to research a full version of netiquette (etiquette for the Internet). Meanwhile, these are two “general rules” to be aware of :
How soon should I reply to emails/ messages ?
For close family and friends, a time frame within 24 hours is considerate, especially if they’re reaching out personally. If you can’t reply that quickly, it’s polite to acknowledge the message and explain you’ll respond later.
For casual friends and contacts, if it’s not urgent or time-sensitive, it’s okay to take a bit longer. 1-3 days is reasonable if not urgent, but a short message of acknowledgement is courteous if unable to respond within a day or so.
But for time-sensitive or important messages, then a response should be as soon as reasonably possible — ideally within a few hours or same day. If being asked for help, plans, or information on a deadline, a prompt reply shows respect and reliability.
Summary Table:
| Relationship Type | Ideal Response Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Close family and friends | Within 24 hours | Acknowledgment if delayed helps |
| Casual friends and contacts | 1–3 days | Reasonable if not urgent |
| Time-Sensitive Topics | Same day if possible | Prioritize |
Tech Tip: Close family members and loved ones who have formed their own social chat group (WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, etc) often post photos and messages, and love to get quick feedback or reaction. To be able to do this, go to the app settings in your phone and enable notifications. Then when a message is posted, you will be notified and can respond immediately by attaching an emoticon to the posted message or photo (such as a love heart or a “like” or whatever is appropriate), and a more detailed response can be made later on. This is what younger generations do (and would love us to do) !
Email/ Message attachments
Size matters …
Not long ago, it was courtesy to limit the size of attachment(s) to less than 1 MB. But with the ever increasing speeds of the Internet, the rule of thumb is now to limit attachment(s) to under 10 MB.
If your attachment(s) is/are over 10 MB, then either compress the file(s) using a zip program, or easier still, upload the file(s) to free cloud storage such as Google Drive, One Drive or DropBox, and share the link to the file(s) in your email/ message.
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