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Texting: The cowards way out

 The Accident Group went under and sacked all its staff by text message
UR dumped coz i h8 u - it is the modern way of delivering bad news, but new technology is turning Britain into a nation of cowards, according to research.

It claims many people now choose to deliver news, such as breaking up with a partner or sacking members of staff, by text and email rather than awkward face-to-face meetings.

The Accident Group's late managing director Mark Langford famously sacked many of his 2,700 staff by text message when his Manchester-based firm collapsed with debts of more than £100m in 2003.

St Helen's comedian Johnny Vegas dumped his girlfriend on live radio, while singer Phil Collins famously faxed his wife asking for a divorce.

And it seems many Brits are now opting for the easy way out.

A poll conducted by the Post Office found two per cent of bosses in this country admitted using digital communication to sack employees.

Three per cent of adults had broken up with a partner by text or email in the last year.

More than half use technology to apologise for workplace mistakes or delegate difficult tasks, so as to avoid confrontational meetings with colleagues.

Stewart Fox-Mills, head of telecoms at the Post Office, said: "We've found that many people are using modern technology to keep a `digital distance' and avoid face-to-face or verbal confrontation.

"Four generations are together in the workplace and each generation's communication style can differ dramatically. This can cause chaos and confusion, sometimes leading to inappropriate behaviour, poor judgement and cultural insensitivity."

The poll of 2,000 people also found 13 per cent had resigned from a job via text message or email, but 80 per cent still use the phone to contact friends when organising a night out.

The poll is included in a report by ITV series Ladette to Lady expert Liz Brewer, called Etiquette in the Digital Age.

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Its cheaper than a mobile phone call! and saves the earache! lets go with the technology!! bring it on.

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i've got a mobile phone but i rarely use it. txt spk sux.

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Abit sad really.

Texting, internet socialising, ie facebook...

We may as well work from home as well as it will cost us too much to get to the office with the con charge, infact why not just live in a cocoon!!

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I have banned the use of e-mail between members of my staff in the office.

Obviously for passing documents etc it is useful, but I am encouraging them to get off their back side and go and talk to their colleagues! Ask them questions 'face to face' etc.

I also detest this ridiculous text speak nonsense.

Awful............

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If you want to split up with someone do what i do. It involves no conversations no texts or emails. Change your number and ignore them forever!

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Pretty much the only time I text is whilst driving. Our good old police service can't see me using the phone then. Getting pointless text messages from people sat about 10 yards away makes me want to go over and smash their damn phone on the floor. And don't get me started on stupid ringtones and people who insist on shouting down the phone on trains and in restaurants.

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the only thing more annoying than people shouting down their phone on the bus is when some moron pushes in front of you at the cash point and gives you grief when you politely ask him to wait his turn - completely ruined my morning that did!

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marc: morning. with events later this year (october) you will have to get use to someone always being before you. I suspect the experience at the cash machine was fate's way of getting you ready for fatherhood.

I've got two so I'm at least 4th in every queue.

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good morning to you Count Bob. i'm looking forward to fatherhood so i can use the pram as a ramming device when i'm at the cashpoint. i also intend to use baby toys as projectile weapons whenever i'm near someone shouting into their damn mobile phone.

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Marc, prams are great ramming devices for rude queue jumpers i use mine for shoving people out of the way & then pretend i didn't realise i was doing it.
I hate the whole text speak that is used i don't understand any of it & i think it makes people lazy

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Proud Mancunian,

Tries your suggestion some years ago with Mrs Angry. Sadly, it did'nt work..

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good for you sarah. its a mother's prerogative to shove people out of the way and, if my girlfriend is anything to go by, to blame their boyfriends for all the evils in the world just because they got her pregnant.

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I find 'accidentally' spilling my piping hot coffee over the pram (and child contained therein) belonging to the mother who has just rammed me with it stops them doing it again. Respect is a two-way street!

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lighten up kurt!

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Who needs prams...human missiles, "ooh sorry, I was busy texting while I walk"!

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Texting is wrong for saying important things like sacking someone or delivering bad news etc but I found it can cheer people up especially older people who maybe lonely with jokes or other funny things that you wouldnt normaly phone somebody up to say.

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Kurt Stevens if you spilt piping hot coffee into my pram you would end up at the MRI to surgically remove a rattle or babys bottle from up your nose

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