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How do you change the way you use your BlackBerry when you’re in public? While some people are considerate of the people surrounding them, others act as if no one else exists, and continue using their devices in ways that, while possibly appropriate in private, are a public nuisance. Peter Post, in his Etiquette at Work column in the Boston Globe, explains some public BlackBerry etiquette. I suggest you read the whole thing, but after the break we’ll do the highlights.

The first bit of advice he gives is the best: “Control it; don’t be controlled by it. Just because you have one doesn’t mean it has to be on all the time.” Admittedly, I never turn off my Berry. Instead, I turn my profile off, which is essentially the same thing — except, of course, that it gives me the ability to check and compose messages. That still might be annoying to some, depending on the setting.

Other advice includes turning it off while dining (and enjoy your present company) and avoiding use during a meeting (others will notice and may not approve). There’s also a note about not transmitting or receiving confidential information. Post relates a story of how he found a BlackBerry in a taxi. What would happen if it had contained classified information?

Sure, many of these ideas can bend with the situation. Perhaps you’re awaiting an important email/phone call during dinner hours. Sometimes you’ll need to keep it on. However, the one bit of advice which I think is bullet-proof is the last one:

Speak softly. We naturally tend to talk louder on a cellphone. It’s not necessary and makes the call all the more intrusive on the people around us.

We’ve come a long way in voice amplification technology. You don’t need to shout.

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