Increasingly, your instructors may expect you to produce texts using a variety of media. You may be asked to create Web content; post your work to course management systems, lists, blogs, wikis, or social networking sites; and respond to the work of others on such sites. In addition, you will probably write email and text messages to your instructors and other students. You may use sound, video, or other multimedia content as part or all of the texts you create. As always, in writing such texts, remember to consider your audience and your context in deciding what is appropriate. Research for this book indicates that many student writers are already adept at making such calls: you probably know, for example, that using informal Internet abbreviations and emoticons in academic writing is seldom appropriate. But because electronic communication is so common, it’s easy to fall into the habit of writing very informally. If you forget to adjust style and voice for different occasions and readers, you may undermine your own intentions.

Following best practices for formal messages and posts

When writing most academic and professional messages, or when posting to a public list that may be read by people you don’t know well, follow the conventions of standard academic English (1b), and be careful not to offend or irritate your audience—remember that jokes may be read as insults and that ALL CAPS may look like shouting. Finally, proofread to make sure your message is clear and free of errors, and that it is addressed to your intended audience, before you hit send.

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Following best practices for informal situations

Sometimes audiences expect informality. When you write in certain situations—Twitter posts, for example, and most text messages—you can play with (or ignore) the conventions you would probably follow in formal writing. Many people receiving text messages expect shorthand such as u for “you,” but be cautious about using such shortcuts with an employer or instructor. You may want to stick to a more formal method of contact if your employer or instructor has not explicitly invited you to send text messages—or texted you first. And if you initiate a text conversation with someone you don’t know well, be sure to identify yourself in your first message!

Even when you think the situation calls for an informal tone, be attuned to your audience’s needs and your purpose for writing. And when writing for any online writing space that allows users to say almost anything about themselves or to comment freely on the postings of others, bear in mind that anonymity sometimes makes online writers feel less inhibited than they would be in a face-to-face discussion. Don’t say anything you want to remain private, and even if you disagree with another writer, avoid personal attacks.