The image is Meta AI generated.
My first rule about chatting is to know when to keep the conversation formal or informal. I don't chat informally in a situation where the conversation is supposed to be formal.
During my elementary years in English class, I was taught the three broad types of letter writing—formal, informal, and semi-formal—and examples of recipients of each. Writing an informal letter where the communication is supposed to be formal could be counterproductive. I respect this boundary in my texting.
I linked up with my primary school teacher via a chat app recently. My style of conversation with him wasn't the same as what I have with my friends. I remember having to correct some auto-abbreviations severally because, unlike how I do abbreviate, though not indiscriminately, while chatting with my friends, this person in question was my teacher, and his respect for building my formative years remained intact. I expect this kind of treatment from my students too. You can't, as my student, badge into my DM and start a conversation with What's up?" or simply type "Hi." I may decide not to respond to such messages.
However, I don't have any problem with whichever way my close associates choose to start a conversation with me. If you check my DM now, you will see all sorts of informal language of chatting from friends. Some can even start a conversation with me with an emoji. I would be the one to ask, "Guy, how far?" The tone of texting is dictated by the existing relationship with the people I am chatting with.
One other thing that pisses me off is to receive a message of "hi" or "what's up" from strangers. I would always force myself to reply "hello" to the former but remain silent to the latter until he or she restructured the first line of conversation. After saying hello, I expect the person to introduce himself properly before proceeding with the chat. If his response to my message remains casual, I may not respond to him again till he does the correct thing.
Another thing that I dislike in texting is the indiscriminate use of abbreviations. Some abbreviations are welcome, while others are very unnecessary. While texting, I expected everyone to maintain popular abbreviations so that the receiver wouldn't find it difficult to decode the message. Communication is about passing a message that is understood by the receiver. If I have to do research before getting the meaning of an abbreviation, then such a conversation would give me an avoidable headache. I don't use abbreviations to the extent of causing understanding challenges to the receiver of my messages.
My position summarizes that before one decides on how to go about texting another person, the prior level of the relationship should be taken into consideration. If you don't have any close relationship with the person you are texting, keep the conversation straight, brief, and formal.
In addition to this, don't make it too difficult for the other party to understand your messages. The conversation should ordinarily flow in the language understood by both parties.
