( CNN ) -- In the wise words of Joshua Ferris , `` Then We Came to the End . '' We 're rapidly approaching the close of 2012 and the technical end of autumn . And of course , according to ( pseudo-scholars of ) the Mayan calendar , we 're a mere week away from The End of the World . All that finality got us thinking about how folks really manage to lose their netiquette heads when they scramble , legs flailing and akimbo , toward the denouement of events and life chapters . So here is the ultimate ( get it ? ) guide to a polite big finish . If you 're leaving your job ... Generally , it 's wise to wait until your last day or so to let the LOLcat out of the bag ( which is to say , to tweet or blog or otherwise post about your new gig ) . Why ? Because until the ink has dried on your contract , you do n't want to run your mouth and risk sharing an update your new company wanted to announce itself . Plus , your current employer might not want to be hit with a torrent of resumes . Remember to give your professional contacts your new e-mail address before your account is shut down . Then social-media up a storm on your first day or after your first week gushing about how much you love your new gig . Just do n't do it during business hours . Obviously . If you 're leaving a city ... The most heartfelt farewells will happen in person , but you do need to let your more casual acquaintances know about the relocation . A mass e-mail is wise , as are a few Paul Revere-esque `` Moving day is coming ! Moving day is coming ! '' updates on your social networking site of choice . But brace yourself : You 'll likely continue to receive mass digital invites to events and debauchery in your former city from well-meaning but clueless contacts . Calmly write back to the inviter , explain that you wo n't be attending because you 're flipping 2,000 miles away , and ask to be taken off the attendant chain of e-mails/texts/Facebook messages . If your company goes kaput ... The unemployment rate may have ticked down , but bankruptcies and shut-downs are still rampant ( co-columnist Andi 's magazine , `` Martha Stewart 's Whole Living , '' was shuttered on Friday , in fact ) . Stay classy to aid your job search and keep the bridges behind you unburned . Wait until the employer has made official statements to the press ( do n't blow the lid off the thing sooner ) , and then use whatever outlets you have to spread the word that you 're back on the market . ( Hi there ! ) ( Hey , we could n't very well call ourselves Netiquette experts if we were n't big on the Art of Self-Promotion , right ? ) If you 're leaving your wife ... Digital missives should not , we repeat , should not be involved in the actual dumping . It 's an obvious warning that more than a third of adults bewilderingly ignore . Suck it up and place a phone call or discuss it in person . Then let your close friends or parents or whomever know about the break-up ( we recommend using e-mail or the phone ) before you go switching up your relationship status on Facebook ( or worse , creating an online dating profile ) . You do n't want your loved ones to call you in alarm after a stalk-y friend alerts them to your new Single status , do you ? If you 're hanging up your hat as Netiquette columnists ... You take a bow and move on . These last 2.5+ years ( and 130+ columns ) have been real , and we 're legit grateful to the readers and fans who responded with balanced criticism , intelligent questions and positive feedback . We 've enjoyed mouthing off and calling out netiquette breaches as we saw 'em , and hope you 've picked up a pointer or two . But we 're moving on with our writing lives -- Brenna with a YA novel , Andi with a screenplay -- and we thought it wise to tap out before the world comes to a smoldering end . And to all the haters : Good luck with your lives as well as basic motor tasks . You desperately need it . -- Andi & Brenna .
Netiquette columnists sign off with digital farewell tips . Do n't start posting about new jobs until old one 's done . Mass e-mails are good when you 're moving out of town . When wrapping a netiquette column , take a bow and move on .