I read an interesting article the other day in Mass High Tech called Taming the Ping. In it Ken Bisconti, an IBM’er in the Lotus group, talks about office etiquette for instant messages. Have you ever been in a meeting and seen someone firing away on their laptop/Treo/Blackberry and found it annoying, here are his nine suggestions for IM civility:

1. Intro yourself… Say hello and add context before launching into your question/problem.
2. Don’t confuse presence with permission… Just because someone is online doesn’t mean they have time to solve the world’s (or your) problems. They also may not be interested in talking about the latest Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Tread lightly and look for hints.
3. Zing the ping… Turn off sounds within your IM application or mute your computer. There’s nothing more annoying that the constant reminder that your next door neighbor (or the person across from you in a meeting) in engaged in an IM chat.
4. Keep chats fast and simple… IM is great for quick hits, but not appropriate for long conversations. Pick up the phone or visit someone (if possible) to take on long discussions.
5. Act professionally… Don’t let the informal nature of IM suggest that it’s anything other than just another channel to communicate. If you wouldn’t say it, you probably shouldn’t IM it.
6. Use the “away” and “do not disturb” messages… If you’re unavailable for chat, use auto messages to tell your colleagues. And if someone indicates they are away or DND, respect it.
7. Take care of business… Limit personal chat, just like you limit personal phone calls.
8. Limit multitasking… Don’t try to carry on too many conversations at once (either multiple chats or across multiple channels). Engage with one and let others know when you’re available.
9. Use abbreviations sparingly… AFAIK you’re a veteran and you know all the abbreviations, but the person on the other side might be a newb… keep the chat lingo to a minimum unless you know your audience.

Used appropriately, IM is a fantastic channel for business communication. But keep these concepts (rules?) in mind to make sure it doesn’t get out of control.