Hope you enjoy reading this; I found it interesting, and something we could all learn when talking on our favourite N900, and on this forum...

Modern gentleman's guide to tech etiquette
(extract from T3 August 2010)

SMARTPHONE ETIQUETTE

DO: PUT IT AWAY AFTER YOU'VE SHOWN SOMEONE SOMETHING COOL
They might be impressed the first time they see Google Goggles in action, but they won't appreciate you then checking your emails and not listening to what they're saying quite so much

DON'T: GET INTO UNSEEMLY ARGUMENTS
If you've got friends for dinner, don't get into a heated debate with the guest who brought his HTC Desire along about why your (Nokia N900) is better, while the other quests try to drink themselves to death out of boredom and embarrasment. Time and place...

DO: PICK YOUR RINGTONE CAREFULLY
A sensible classic "ring ring" tone on a moderate volume shows you have class and that you don't consider yourself clever or unique for having a phone. Avoid loud, brash custom tones, and never use a polyphonic comedy song. You won't be seen as ironic, you'll just be hated. Just pick the least offensive of your phone's preset ringtones

DON'T: TOUCH YOUR PHONE WHILE INEBRIATED
Would James Bond text his last romantic liaison to teafully beg her to see that there's more to him? No. By the same token, stay away from texting your boss or Steve Jobs after a few too many ales. Check out www.textfromlastnight.com to see some of the consequences of sozzled SMSing

DO: CUSTOMIZE YOUR SCREEN WALLPAPER
A picture of your kids or loved ones is a nice touch, and shows your caring side. It also makes it more likely that non-sociopaths will return your phone if you lose it and they find it.

DON'T: STORE YOUR PHONE LIKE A GUN
Belt holsters went out with Global Hypercolour and "urban boy band" Another level

DO: USE EMOTICONS SPARINGLY
Constructing winking or tearful faces out of punctuation is not the gentleman's way. However, emoticons can come in handy for those with a dry or edgy wit who find themselves sending messages to someone who has no discernible sense of humour. Like you, you ****! ;-)

DON'T: TALK ON THE PHONE WHILE TAKING A LEAK
Or anything else toilette-related, come to that

DO: GET THE NAMES RIGHT
Your iPhone is not an "iPod Phone". Your iPod Touch is not an "iTouch". We know you're preaching to the converted here, but boy do we hate that...

DON'T: OVER-USE YOUR PHONE'S CAMERA
Thinking of snapping someone? Ask permission even before you whip your phone out and turn it to camera mode, or the evening could turn frosty. Also avoid those LED "flashes": there's a thin line between using one and shinning a blinding torch in your subject's eyes for several agonizing seconds