Text dumping = bad manners

Fairfax

BAD MANNERS: Breaking up with someone via text message is a big no no.

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It's official - dumping someone by text message is bad manners.

British etiquette experts Debrett's believe the end of a significant relationship calls for a face-to-face meeting.

And while a phone call or email is an acceptable break-up method if it's early days and the couple has only been on a few dates, texting is too heartless.

Debrett's etiquette adviser Jo Bryant says technology does not allow a person to convey meaning through eye contact and facial expressions, hence the evolution of "emoticons" or using punctuation marks to draw faces.

But those attempts at injecting texts or emails with some feeling were poor substitutes for the real thing.

"A general rule with all technology is what it should be doing is helping your social life and it shouldn't be replacing face-to-face meetings when they're appropriate," Bryant told AAP.

Using a mobile phone while on a date is also a faux pas.

"There are different times in which technology should be put away," Bryant said.

"When you're on a date with someone, you must not let someone feel second place to your technology."

Debrett's released the A-Z of Modern Manners last Christmas, one of its first forays into publishing etiquette guidelines that take into account modern technology.

Now they even give etiquette advice via Twitter and are planning to release rules for polite use of the social networking tool.

Twitter tirades about an ex are a no-no and recently single Facebook users should only update their status once they're sure the relationship is over.

"It's a way of showing etiquette is relevant today," Bryant said of Debrett's use of Twitter.

"Over the last 12 months we've found the number of inquiries we get at the Debrett's office has increased.

"We get all sorts of inquires. We've noticed that technology has been creeping in and people are aware of wanting to get it right and aware that a new code of manners has come about but we haven't been taught."

Perhaps pushing the boundaries was the American bridegroom who recently paused his wedding to update his status on Facebook and Twitter.

Dana Hanna, who called himself a "technology centric" software developer, has posted a YouTube clip of the moment he tweeted: "Standing at the altar with TracyPage where just a second ago, she became my wife! Gotta go, time to kiss my bride."

- AAP