Many of my coworkers in the CNET offices and I have been testing out Google Talk today. After a few hours of use, it's becoming evident that Google Talk, just like the cell phone, is a soon-to-be-ubiquitous technology that deserves its own set of etiquette rules. The following guidelines are a start.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use Google Talk to save money on your phone bill. | Use Google Talk as a hair-care product. |
| Wear a headset when you're using Google Talk in a public place or at the office. | Leave your headset on when you're getting a hat-size measurement or showering. |
| Use Google Talk's open-source protocol to chat with GAIM, Trillian, and iChat users. | Forget to use verbal emoticons ("I am smiling") and acronyms ("I am laughing out loud") while you're using Google Talk. |
| Position your computer's microphone so that you can speak at a normal volume when using Google Talk. | Position your computer's microphone 12 feet underground and yell at it through a bullhorn. |
| Encourage the person you're talking to speak in a robot voice, as eavesdroppers will think you have a futuristic voice-enabled computer. | Glue a laptop to the side of your head and use it as a Google Talk face mask. |