Why might I want to show restraint in asking for other people's business cards?

Why might I want to show restraint in asking for other people's business cards?

Phyllis Davis (Business Etiquette Consultant) gives expert video advice on: What are the most important and least important items on a business card?; When is it appropriate to ask someone for his or her business card?; How can I graciously ask someone for his or her business card? and more...

You might want to show restraint in asking for other people's business cards as people are very protective of their email addresses, that's one thing. They don't want to get on a spam-list. The second thing is, with the cutback around 2001 after 9/11, they created what we call a lean workplace now, and many executives started to share administrative assistants. They put their own telephone number, which is a direct-dial number into their offices, and they don't want people to have their direct dial numbers. In the old days, we all went through a switchboard, but that has changed and now people give out their phone numbers. Some people don't want their cell phone, their email or their private line to be out in the public on a business card, so show some restraint in asking for them.