[Ansteorra] Question 2/22

[Faelan Caimbeul]

Personally, I almost never use my title, ever. Granted, I'm only a Lord, but
still. My Lady does the same and ended up with two AoAs because of it. She
just got her second one at 12th Night. Her first was from a couple years ago
in the West, but since she didn't advertise the fact, she got dubbed again.

On the flip side, my AoA go delayed for a while due to informality because
everyone assumed I already had it. Two years later it came to light that I
didn't and then almost immediately got it. So fair warning to the newly
displaced, get on the OP ASAP and advertise a little when you first arrive
until people start to know who you are ;-)

Despite the confusion, I still don't use titles much, except with official
business and requests, or with someone I'm not on familiar terms with. In my
experience your friends and regular companions usually prefer just being
called by their name anyway, without the title. But, if you're asking the
King for something, Your Majesty would always be appropriate due to his
rank, friend or not. Likewise, if asking your compatriot, who also happens
to be a Duchess and the Regional Seneschal, a question that concerns her
official capacity, Your Grace would be a good start. I'll then sign with
Lord, and if the response comes back without titles included, I don't use
them in response on that issue from that point on, either.

Of course, there are also people that use them almost habitually, which is
period practice, courteous and always appropriate, especially when
addressing someone of higher rank. There are also those that use them
because they are rightfully proud of their accomplishments. That's great
too. I've just never been that formal about anything if I can help it.

Just my two cents. It's an interesting question.

Faelan

On 2/22/07, Zubeydah Jamilla al-Badawiyya <zubeydah at northkeep.org> wrote:
>
> I appreciate it when folks of the Peerage and Nobility and Grant level use
> their titles, because it helps newcomers not make a social gaffe when
> corresponding or meeting folks for the first time.
>
> When I was pretty new to Ansteorra, I'd seen someone sign their emails
> very
> casually - just their first name. When I began corresponding with them, I
> did not use the correct form of address ( I used 'Milady' not knowing any
> better), and was gently chastized for it. I was mortified.
>
> Now, I try and look folks up in the online OP before emailing, so as not
> to
> make that embarassing mistake again. Had I ever seen a title in an email,
> it
> would have flagged me to check to make sure I was addressing this person
> correctly, when asking them for their help.
>
> -Zubeydah Jamilla al-Badawiyya
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ansteorra mailing list
> Ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org
>