When thanking a friend for a cup of coffee, an e-mail is appropriate. Maybe even something as casual as a text message will suffice.

When thanking a potential employer for a job interview, a personal letter is in order.

To discuss a major issue with President Bush, a trip to the White House is advised.

The medium used to communicate a message should be proportionate to the content's importance, according to the "techniquette" principles presented at OSU Extension Service's annual conference Tuesday.

Trischa Goodnow, OSU associate professor of speech communication, and Gordon Carlson, OSU Extension Service software trainer, pitched their vision of the appropriate use technology in communication to Extension faculty and staff gathered from throughout the state.

Since education is a key part of Extension's mission, as is communicating the needs of Oregonians to researchers at OSU, it's important to hone interpersonal skills, according to Scott Reed, dean and director of OSU Extension Service.

"Information in and of itself isn't necessarily communication unless it has intentional design behind it," Reed said.

Goodnow and Carlson have a very specific design in mind.

In their communication equation, the perceived significance of a message reflects the time and effort that went into it, as well as its relative importance.

People should consider three principles before picking up the telephone or reaching for the computer mouse, they said.

First, communication should be controlled by people, not technology.

Carlson said people have told him they decide what information to share in a power point presentation based on how much text can fit on a slide.

"I can't imagine letting a computer, basically six pounds of plastic, dictate what my message should be," he said.

Second, all communication should be goal-oriented - have a clear purpose.

Third, goals should determine the technology used.

Carlson recalled getting a mass e-mail from someone seeking job references. If the goal is something important, make the people you're prevailing upon feel significant by taking time with your request, he suggested.

People need to tailor their communication style and medium to their audience, the speakers said.

"I'm really tired of students using (text messaging abbreviations) in formal papers," Goodnow said.

With e-mail, blogs and podcasts becoming commonplace, it's important to apply the principles of basic etiquette and civil conversation to the technological world, Goodnow and Carlson said.

"We're not here to say technology is bad. We're just asking all of us to spend more time thinking about how we craft messages," Goodnow said. "Think about whether the message you're sending is really the one you want to send."

Barbara Fick, an Extension faculty member specializing in home horticulture, said she gets overwhelmed by e-mails. She always prioritizes voice mails over e-mails when returning messages.

When she does get to her inbox, Fick puts e-mails with sloppy punctuation at the bottom of the pecking order.

Fick said she appreciated learning from Carlson and Goodnow how to better communicate with Extension clients.

"It is important to look at which way is best to communicate. Knowing when to pick up the phone, when to write a personal letter and when to use e-mail is important," she said.

Linda White, an Extension faculty member dealing in commercial horticulture, agreed.

She often meets clients at coffee shops because she favors one-on-one interactions.

"I prefer phone calls or meeting people in person because you actually get to talk to people," White said.

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.

At a glance

OSU Extension Service's conference began Monday with a banquet and continues today at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center on campus. Sessions include a look at podcasting possibilities, featuring Gazette-Times reporter Theresa Hogue. Look for her conference podcast at www.gazettetimes.com later this week.