Jaunted

Offices Are For Old People / WiFi / Netiquette / Mighty Girl / → All Tags

Towards A Code Of Laptop Etiquette

Modern technology can be so freeing, but it isn't any good if other people get in the way of your ability to work anywhere, at any time. That's why we loved Maggie "Mighty Girl" Mason's "Tips For The WiFi Workforce," which spells out those little tips you wish everyone would follow anyway.

A San Francisco-based writer and publisher, Mason regularly works from coffee shops, so she's seen every bad behavior in the book, from table hogs to bandwidth bogarters. And while she recognizes that some places are more laptop friendly than others, it's up to the customers to keep each other honest.

Mason's tips can easily apply to wherever you happen to be typing at this particular moment, but we'd like to suggest these addenda:

Free WiFi isn't worth being a jerk. We were horrified when a travel blogger recently tweeted about sitting on the floor outside an airline executive club to catch a free signal because the airport charged for their network. We love free WiFi, but blocking the way for your fellow travelers in order to save $7 is really poor form. Besides, you don't know where that floor's been.

Office rules go: Don't read other people's screens. Back in October, we were working on a post at Midway Airport when we noticed a nosy lady craning her neck to view our laptop. It was funny watching her head explode while she tried to figure out which Presidential candidate we supported, but we were tempted to open a Word doc and type HEY LADY, BACK OFF into it. Even if it's intriguing, thou shalt not look!

If someone asks, say yes. You might see that fellow hotel guest all over town for the rest of the week; isn't it worth vacating the outlet for a few hours so she can write her blog?

Related Stories:
· Cofefe-Shop Etiquette: 15 Tips For The WiFi Workforce [Mighty Girl]
· Your Unrefined Offspring Can Learn A Thing Or Two From Taj Boston [HC]
· Embedded Travel Guides: Paris Etiquette [Jaunted]

[Photo: angelicpixel]