Annoying Notifications
A few years back, my cousin initiated a WhatsApp Group for all the family members who use WhatsApp. It helped us to be up-to-date on all the happenings in the family circle, instantly. One fine day, during a busy schedule of work in the office; I was annoyed with the WhatsApp message notification sound – for about 100 times, of which only one message was an information or reminder to me. It all started when one of our brothers celebrated his birthday. In the morning my sister had posted a birthday wish to him in the WhatsApp Group. He thanked her in the group. Now you can just imagine that almost all in the group wished him individually and he thanked each of us individually – all in the same WhatsApp Group.
How to use WhatsApp effectively, especially WhatsApp Group:
Group Message Settings (Preferable)
- Be part of the Group(s), you wish to; or else EXIT the group. Even if someone is adding you again and again, please exit repeatedly until you are not added in the group.
- Keep the Group contact (or even the individual contact) in MUTE, so that the notification will not disturb; and may check the messages when you have time.
GROUP ETHICS
DO’s
- Send messages for all in the Group; and not for an individual or to only some in the Group.
- To wish, thank or acknowledge anyone, please use their personal WhatsApp contact.
- The FIRST wish on a birthday or anniversary or any special occasion is permitted in the group, as it is also an information or reminder to the others.
- Keep to the purpose of the group. Send only relevant messages.
- Keep in mind that your words can be interpreted in multiple ways, so use short sentences that can’t be misinterpreted.
- Circulate only authentic and true messages. Ask yourself these four questions before posting: (1) Is it true? (2) Is it relevant? (3) Is it necessary? (4) Is this a good time to post?
- If someone asks a question and you don’t know the answer, solution, or suggestion; just wait for someone who knows the answer to reply; and don’t respond with “I don’t know.”
- Check the date of the news that you want to forward in the Group; and ensure it is not very old.
- It is better to be a silent spectator in the Group, than being a nuisance by responding to every message of the Group, in the Group.
- Politely excuse yourself before you leave a group.
- If you are the Group Administrator: offenders in the group should be warned personally; and repeated offenders can be removed permanently.
DON’Ts
- Do not share irrelevant messages about other topics in a particular group.
- Do not send one-on-one (personal) conversation in WhatsApp Group. Switch to private message by tapping the name / number above the message of the person with whom you want to reply.
- Good Morning / Good Night messages are irrelevant.
- Do not post negative messages on religion, community, region, political party because it may indirectly hurt others.
- Do not shame fellow member in the group.
- Do not forward advertisement messages or offer messages in the group, as most of them are fake and will collect all the contacts in the group.
- Avoid sending prayer-chain or surprise over recitation of prayer(s) in the group, as the purpose of the same is like the previous point.
- Don’t be offended if others leave the group. Not everyone wants the same information.
Now our family-WhatsApp Group has 105 participants; and all of us follow the group ethics, thus making our group more informative and bonding our relationship.
Design and Concept: Rocky & Rakesh
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