100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition

66 People Expect Online Interactions to Follow Social Rules

When people interact with each other, they follow rules and guidelines for social interaction. Let’s say you’re sitting outside a café when your friend Mark sees you sitting by the window. Mark comes over to you and says, “Hi Richard, how are you doing today?” Mark expects you to interact with him, and he expects that interaction to follow a certain protocol. He expects you to look at him—in fact, to look him in the eye. If your previous interactions have been positive, then he expects you to smile a little bit. Next, you’re supposed to respond to him by saying something like, “I’m fine. I’m sitting outside here to enjoy the beautiful weather.” Where the conversation goes next depends ...