Chat etiquette: emoji reactions + no redundant quoting

chat-etiquette.md

Chat Etiquette: Less Noise, Better Signal

Two simple habits that make group chats cleaner for everyone.

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1. React with Emoji, Don't Reply "Acknowledged"

When you just want to confirm you've seen a message, use an emoji reaction instead of typing a reply.

Avoid these low-value replies

• "Acknowledged"
• "Got it"
• "Ok"
• "Thanks"
• "Will do"
• "👍" (as a message, not a reaction)

These create notifications and clutter without adding information.

Use emoji reactions instead

Most chat apps (Google Chat, Slack, Teams, Discord) let you react with an emoji:

Reaction	Meaning
👍	acknowledged / agree / will do
✅	done / confirmed
👀	looking into it
🙏	thanks

How: Hover over the message → click the emoji/reaction icon → select

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2. Don't Quote the Message Right Before Yours

When replying, avoid quoting the message immediately before yours - everyone just read it.

Why it creates noise

• Repeats what everyone just saw
• Adds visual clutter
• Makes threads harder to skim
• Doubles text for no benefit

When TO quote

• Referencing something from earlier in the thread
• Conversation has multiple topics and you need to clarify which one

When NOT to quote

• The message right before yours
• The entire previous message when only one line is relevant
• When the conversation flow is already obvious

Google Chat limitation

Google Chat auto-inserts the full quoted message and doesn't let you edit it down. You cannot quote just a specific part. Your options:

1. Delete the quote entirely and reply normally (preferred)
2. Keep the full quote (only if referencing something from earlier)

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When to Actually Type a Reply

✅ You have a question
✅ You're adding information
✅ You need to clarify something
✅ The sender specifically asked for a written response

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Small habits, cleaner threads.