Is it rude to react to a message instead of replying?
Guilty
The short answer
A reaction is a fine answer to news and a poor answer to a question. A thumbs up to a question that needs a yes or no is not a reply.
The ruling
From the public record. Names are replaced with roles.
Small claims division
Case no.PC-2026-05079
The friend who asked v. The friend who reacted
Filed 10/07/2026
- Plaintiff
- The friend who asked
- Defendant
- The friend who reacted
Statement of claim
I asked the group if Saturday at 7 works. She reacted with a thumbs up. I booked for four. She did not come and said the thumbs up meant she saw it.
Charge
Answering a direct scheduling question with a reaction later said to mean seen
Judgment
Guilty
Friend found guilty of a thumbs up that meant nothing
Sentence
The defendant answers the next three scheduling questions in the chat with words, and covers her share of the booking fee.
How the court usually rules on this
The court reads reactions the way it reads a nod across a room: enough to show you saw something, not enough to answer it. When a message asks for a decision, a time or a yes or no, the court expects words. Most guilty verdicts here involve a plan that fell through because nobody knew what the thumbs up meant.
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