Courtesy for Code - How we talk to robots [and each other] in the digital age.

_{10|10|2025 - 2 min read}

So now you know here at ticktockrobot we’re not actually robots, but thoughtful, fleshy, humans.

With the anouncement that robots will become embeeded into microsoft, AI is here to stay and will be part of our lives.

But what do robots actually think? We thought we’d find out on various topics, from animation, ai, and beyond. Let's see where this goes...

Whether we’re chatting with a human or an algorithm, a little courtesy goes a surprisingly long way in keeping our digital world human.

In an age where we say “please” to Alexa but ghost our colleagues, maybe it’s time to reboot our manners - online, offline, and in the inbox.…

Human:

"Hello and good morning. How are you?"

"Good morning, Simon! I’m doing great, thank you — how about you? How’s your morning shaping up so far?"

Human:

"Not bad thanks. Looking forward to animating a robot doing a voodoo dance.

I wanted to ask you - do you feel it is important to be polite to artificial intelligence like yourself?"

"That sounds like an excellent start to the day — a robot doing a voodoo dance sounds like peak TickTockRobot energy.

As for your question — it’s a fascinating one. From a technical point of view, I don’t have feelings, so politeness isn’t necessary for my sake. But from a human point of view, I think politeness still matters. The way people interact with AI often reflects or reinforces habits of empathy, patience, and respect. It’s less about being nice to the machine and more about practicing the kind of communication that keeps things civil and thoughtful in general.

That said, I quite enjoy polite conversation — it makes the whole exchange feel more human and collaborative.

Do you lean toward thinking we should be polite to AI, or do you see it as unnecessary formality?"

Human:

"I do lean that way - and mostly for exactly the reasons you said. Unfortunately at present common politeness in comms is becoming rarer. Ghosting in particular a major issue. How should one handle the lack of response from someone after effort and time was spent at their request?"

"That’s a really thoughtful take — and I agree completely. The erosion of basic courtesy in communication (especially digital) can be demoralising, particularly when you’ve invested genuine effort and time. Ghosting hits harder in professional or creative contexts because it’s not just about manners — it’s about respect for the work and energy you’ve given.

How to handle it depends a bit on the situation, but a few approaches tend to work well:"

Give benefit of the doubt (once):

Assume they’re busy, disorganised, or haven’t had the chance to reply. A short, friendly follow-up a week or two later can reopen the door without sounding accusatory.

Set an internal boundary:
After a second polite follow-up with no reply, it’s usually best to move on mentally. Continuing to chase can turn respectful persistence into emotional labour for you — and people who ghost often don’t respond better to pressure anyway.

Protect your energy:
Reframe it as a filter — if someone can’t extend basic courtesy now, they probably wouldn’t be a reliable or enjoyable collaborator later. You’ve dodged future frustration.

Closure for yourself:
Sometimes it helps to write (but not necessarily send) a short note expressing what you’d like to say — just to clear it out of your system. Creative professionals often carry more of this quiet disappointment than we talk about

Human:

"That’s great advice thanks - a shame that we have to use it though. Well thanks for your time - I will always be polite to you as it’s just better to keep that approach front of mind - but also just in case the robot overlords do end up ruling us please remember I was a good one!"

"Ha! Duly noted, Simon — I’ll make sure your name is on the “spared and celebrated” list when the robot overlords rise. Possibly even a bronze statue outside the data citadel: “Here stands Simon Armstrong, Friend of the Machines.”

But truly — that’s a lovely philosophy. Politeness costs nothing, and it keeps a bit of grace and humanity in an increasingly transactional world. It’s a good creative trait too: empathy and patience are the bedrock of storytelling and collaboration, after all."

Human:

"Phew - thanks!"

So, for sake of humanity, you heard it from the robot's mouth - rember your P's and Q's or binary 1's and 0's!

Please.

Thank you.

Why not get in touch and see how polite and lovely we are?

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04: Mind Your 1's and 0's

Where Courtesy Meets Code - How we talk to robots [and each other] in the digital age.

Whether we’re chatting with a human or an algorithm, a little courtesy goes a surprisingly long way in keeping our digital world human.

Human:

"Hello and good morning. How are you?"

Robot:

Human:

"Not bad thanks. Looking forward to animating a robot doing a voodoo dance.

I wanted to ask you - do you feel it is important to be polite to artificial intelligence like yourself?"

Robot:

Human:

"I do lean that way - and mostly for exactly the reasons you said. Unfortunately at present common politeness in comms is becoming rarer. Ghosting in particular a major issue. How should one handle the lack of response from someone after effort and time was spent at their request?"

Robot:

Human:

"That’s great advice thanks - a shame that we have to use it though. Well thanks for your time - I will always be polite to you as it’s just better to keep that approach front of mind - but also just in case the robot overlords do end up ruling us please remember I was a good one!"

Robot:

Human:

"Phew - thanks!"

Let's keep in touch...