Of course the other thing to keep in mind is that one person’s iron-clad rule is another person’s guideline.

And interpretation of the simplest rules will vary widely.

The only defence is to be personable and willing to apologize if s.o. Thinks you’ve violated their house rules.

Explaining to them that they’re wrong is a mug’s game.

I love how Merlin Mann only accepts “check this website out” requests via del.icio.us. That’s probably *easier* for most people to do, and it’s certainly easier for him to sit down and check out a bunch of websites in one sitting.

I have an outline for consulting clients explaining the best ways to reach me in a given situation. (Phone = emergencies or appointments only, email is best, don’t send me a personal message via a public Twitter reply.) It’s worked very well so far and I need a similar outline for my blogs.

I hope you won’t mind if I quote this gem about 500 times:

“No standard set of rules applies. For the millions of blogs now in existence, each is their own nation, with their own local laws and customs. If it sounds like too much work, then it’s probably not the work you should be doing.”

This makes me think of two things:

1. In my bachelor days, I came to the not-very-groundbreaking insight that different women liked to be approached different ways. Some women didn’t want to be flirted with, ever, even if you were dating them. Others would flirt with you while they were holding hands with their boyfriend – not because they were unfaithful, but because they liked the playfulness of it. Some would only date you if they knew you very well; others might go out with you if they barely knew you. The point: PEOPLE VARY.

2. In the business world, I’ve had bosses who wanted airtight documentation to back up every decision, and I’ve had bosses who would never, ever read an e-mail that was more than six lines long. Which way is right? DEPENDS ON WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH.

Honestly, you’d think it wouldn’t be this hard. Thanks for your note of sanity here.