"Let's face it: Technology and etiquette have been colliding for some time now, and things have finally boiled over if the recent spate of media criticisms is anything to go by. There's the voicemail, not to be left unless you're "dying." There's the e-mail signoff that we need to "kill." And then there's the observation that what was once normal - like asking someone for directions - is now considered "uncivilized."
Cyber-savvy folks are arguing for such new etiquette rules because in an information-overloaded world, time-wasting communication is not just outdated - it's rude. But while living according to the gospel of technological efficiency and frictionless sharing is fine as a Silicon Valley innovation ethos, it makes for a downright depressing social ethic."