boxofdelights

I raised myself on Miss Manners, read her newspaper column every time it ran from the time I was very little - maybe just six or seven? - until my mid-thirties or so. There's a lot to be said - especially in our society - for having decorum, diplomacy, and knowing which fork to stab your salad with in more formal settings. She's great for that sort of thing. That said, I don't think manners alone can give you a well-rounded persona but I wish your friend luck in coming up with the best answer on that, since I know what it feels like to want to keep parts of your personality separate from your online presence. I've tried continuing my education in politesse with Emily Post but it's not the same...she seems to have adjusted her advice to be so "modern" that it's not really advice anymore, it just follows many of the de facto social standards these days, some which I suspect would not seem too kosher to Miss Manners at all.