The number one device on my "Rude Hit List" is the automated answering machine that is the norm at most American businesses. Callers are required to press buttons for desired languages, employee names, departments, services, phone extentions, and problems. I hit buttons for five minutes before finally hanging up on my insurance company last week. They don't want my business that badly. Oh for a human voice! Kim Righetti, Upland, California

I am baffled that so many who posted their comments link bad behaviour to technology while nobody has made the most obvious connection between decline in church attendance and manners. I am an atheist myself but I think there is definitely a link there. If you do not believe in a higher being, and most of us are no longer religious, then you don't believe yourself to be inferior to anybody. In past generations if the wrath of single members of society did not scare you, surely the wrath of God did. I think this goes deeper than just parents not bringing up their children in the right way. We have lost all belief in authority figures and to disregard them is seen as the clever, informed thing to do. If you ask me, God has left the building and nobody has stepped into the vacuum. Name and address withheld

As English speakers, we are perhaps at a disadvantage. For example, the French and Germans have different forms of the word "you" (tu/vous, Du/Sie) which can denote a level of respect or informality depending on the circumstance. It would be totally incorrect linguistically to use the formal appellation and then use improper/rude words in conjunction with it. But I think technology has had an influence on how we interact with each other. E-mails, particularly those originating on the other side of the Atlantic, start abruptly without "dear so-and-so". Because texts are often limited on space all sorts of corners are cut in terms of politeness, and these get fed back as being acceptable in every day forms of address. I’m of a generation that was brought up to "not to talk to strangers". Time was when meeting a stranger was most often effected through a mutual acquaintance. This was intrinsically a form of respect for all the individuals involved; to do otherwise would smack of familiarity. Put these ideas into the world of Ebay, call centres and chat rooms and the change is very apparent. Whether it can be called progress is debatable. Howard Broadwell, Nottingham

Technology and good manners are not incompatible, as Japan's example shows. The most technologically advanced country on the planet has managed to retain high standards of politeness that make life a more pleasant experience. I think the breakdown of the traditional class structure in Britain over the past 40 years is partly responsible for the problem - people have no role models anymore. Christopher Lynch, Tokyo, Japan

Britain has no call to worry about the decline in manners as far as I can see: the rudest place I've ever lived in was Germany, where eating out is a chore because waiting staff have no concept of good manners or customer service and shop staff seem to see the customer as their mortal enemy. When I came to Britain, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief that I was once again in a place where manners are appreciated and basic standards of conduct, such as respecting queues and speaking in a respectful tone of voice, are still in existence. So don't panic, manners still exist in this country! Name and address withheld

I thought of this debate as I walked through Christ Church Meadows on the way to my faculty this morning. I saw not one student without their ears jammed with either a mobile phone or iPod or some other escapist, entertainment device. The beautiful sounds of nature, the bells tolling, the swish of the rowers on the river and the not-so-gentle moos of the cows, were rudely interrupted by the snippets of last night's garrulous gossip (only worthy of inclusion in the college bogsheet) and thump of varying bass beats, to which I was subjected. It is extraordinary that persons of my own age are so averse to the very special soundscape of Oxford's sublime green space. Alexandra Buckle, Oxford

I believe that the Rev Ian Gibson's views are closer to the true reason that courtesy towards other human beings, friends or not, is becoming rarer. I believe that the stressed out lifestyle we lead in this country, coupled with the ever increasing need for both parents within a family to be working is the primary cause for the loss of courtesy within society. This means children are spending less and less time in a family environment. It is in this environment that children should be being taught etiquette, as it is within this environment that discipline should be instilled. The first generation of these children have now grown up and are having children. These children are also not being taught what is acceptable, partly due to the first point and also because their parents are not always aware themselves of what is acceptable because of their upbringing. Richard Pye, Chesterfield

I agree that the British society is getting ruder but I am not sure that the technology can be blamed for it. The type of people who are rude would always be rude, technology or not. If parents take the side of their misbehaving children, teachers are not allowed to enforce discipline within a classroom, police are handicapped in their treatment of juvenile crime and the children are more aware of their rights but not their responsibilities, technology does not feature as an issue. Vinay Mehra, Purley

Growing up in the 50s and 60s, when schoolboys still wore caps, we were taught to take them off when we met a lady in the street. Opening doors for others (girls and grown-ups) was the norm and we never sat on a bus or a train if there was an adult standing. What has caused the decline is debatable. I think television bears a heavy responsibility. TV presenters regularly mangle the Queen’s English and maintaining a good standard of spoken English and sound grammar seems to be positively discouraged. Similarly, basic good manners have fallen by the wayside. TV seems obsessed with adopting the standards of the lowest common denominator. It’s time that the media in general, and TV in particular, recognise that it is not condescending or patronising to try to raise standards of behaviour and grammar. Some TV drama will, inevitably, reflect the worst that society has to offer but in many other areas of entertainment TV should be setting a good example. Kevin Miller, Penshurst

Undoubtedly yes. Technology is increasing the level of stress and intensity of life, adding enormously to the pressures of the fast-paced life of today. The "personalisation" of technology in the form of musical and communication gadgets has only crash landed us into quagmire of self indulgence and a much less than polite global culture. Ahson Saeed Hasan, Rockville, USA

Of course, there are aspects of technology which have contributed to the manner in which people do - or do not - interact with each other. Mobile phones, text messaging and e-mails remove much of the face-to-face communication which is fundamental to both formal and intimate relationships. However, to suggest that technology is a major reason for a growth in rudeness and lack of politeness is incorrect and misleading. Generally, during the last 30 years there had been a steady decline in the respect we have for other people. The zone within which we allow ourselves to react and respond with consideration to others in the community has gradually shrunk. Primarily, I believe, this is the result of new issues in society such as changes in the security of people's jobs, a substantial growth in consumerism - with all that implies - and the influx of immigrant cultures. One example, as recognised in the article, is the willingness of parents to ignore or condone their children's bad behaviour either out of apathy or as a form of mis-guided protection. Keith Downer, London

I have worked in public libraries for many years. And sadly to say, our patrons have become more rude and much less polite. Most libraries offer computers for public use and many of these users create problems. They are possessive of library computers, and do not want to get up when there turn is over Many of these same users will interrupt you when you are helping patrons and do not want to wait their turn. They push in front of others, complaining they cannot find a website or that the printer is broke or out of paper. They glare at you, when you politely ask them to wait their turn. Yes, technology has made finding library information easier and quicker, but it does have its drawbacks. Jerry Stevens, Los Angeles, USA

Technology has nothing to do with it though for some people it may be comforting to think so. So much easier than face up to the fact that rudeness and general brutishness are so obviously tied to the disappearance of proper education. Derek Sinclair, Dundee

One of the rudest devices of the modern world is "call waiting" (I assume you have the same dreadful innovation in the UK). The party you're speaking to on the phone suddenly receives another, "more urgent" call and puts you - the first caller - on hold. Let's all just play tycoon/Bill Gates/Donald Trump! No-one is that important. I've heard "call waiting" described as a spoiled child screaming for attention - or "first come, last served". It's incredibly rude - do y'all think so, too? Sharon Eide, Bridgeport, WA, USA

Technology, whether it be for information, manufacturing, vehicles, or electrical appliances, is merely an enabler for various tasks. It can greatly enrich our lives giving us, among other things, instant, long-distance, low-cost communications; make medical "miracles" available to people in distant lands and protect human beings from the need to do many hazardous tasks. To blame it for the selfish, self-centred, lazy avoidance of consideration for other people reflects the depths to which human beings let our selves sink, and from which depths no use of technology can reclaim us. No matter how advanced, sophisticated or complex any technology becomes, it is still the produce of the human mind and a human being still has to turn the key or flick the "on" switch. Gabrielle Wheeler, St Leonards, NSW, Australia

I am not totally sure that technology has caused this erosion of manners and civility. I do though agree that there has been a decline. I was talking to a colleague today about this very matter, I am not old (27), but in the last three years at my place of work it has become noticeably apparent that there is a decline in how people behave at work and how they present themselves. Three years ago it was unacceptable to have tattoos on your body on open display , so much so that male colleagues who had tattoos on their forearms had to wear long sleeve sweaters even in the height of summer as it was perceived as potentially offensive. Now many of my male colleagues display tattoos on their forearms without thought. I notice also that it is less shocking if people swear at work. There are now only certain words that people balk at. I do not, however, think that this is linked to technology. Technology has made our lives easier and increased the potential for time to be spent away from the workplace / kitchen sink, etc. How manners and the erosion of politeness has come about, I am not sure - but it is a great shame. Name and address withheld

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