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» A Guide to Etiquette on
the Net
'Netiquette' (Internet etiquette the standards for proper
behaviour on the Internet), are important for children
and their parents to understand. There are widely accepted
rules of behaviour to follow when you're online.
Since the Internet changes rapidly, its netiquette does
too. The need for a sense of netiquette arises mostly
when sending or distributing e-mail, posting on Usenet
newsgroups, or chatting.
Since the online world can feel "pretend"
to a child, because of its seemingly anonymous nature,
it is very important that a parent articulates and reinforces
the importance of basic values, such as truthfulness,
responsibility, and respect. Children need a careful
explanation of what is acceptable behaviour and why,
and they need to know what exceptions, if any, are permissible,
(such as using an alias online to protect anonymity
etc.)
As a newbie (someone new to the Internet) you do not
want to venture into cyberspace until you are familiar
with the acceptable standards of Internet behaviour.
There are a few introductory measures that can help
you feel more comfortable with the new situations cyberspace
will throw at you.
Here are some rules to live by if you want to become
a responsible Netizen.
| • |
Do unto others,
as you'd have others do unto you.
Be polite and courteous at all times, just because
you are not engaged in real world conversation,
does not mean you can abandon real world manners
and ethics. Remember that you're not communicating
with a computer screen, but with a human being
in possession of thoughts and feelings just like
you. So before you fly off the handle, or send
a rude or offensive message, think about the person
on the receiving end. |
| • |
If you are
new to a chat room or Usenet, the golden rule
is to lurk before you leap. As various countries
have different norms and cultures, the domains
of cyberspace vary in their ideas of acceptable
behaviour. When entering a new domain, make sure
you listen and observe for a while before speaking
your mind, find out what people are talking about
and what their acceptable practices are. If possible
take a look at the list of FAQ's before you participate.
This way there is less chance of you offending
someone. |
| • |
Do not TYPE
ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS for emphasis. IT LOOKS
LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING. If you need to emphasise
a word, use asterisks, like *this* or lines, like
_this_. Be aware that the biggest problem with
the Internet is that the written word is not easy
to interpret. When you speak something, people
can hear the tone of your voice. If they can see
you, they can take visual clues from your face
and body to see if you intend humour or if you
are trying to soften what sounds like a harsh
sentence. All of this is lost in text, and sometimes
responses can come across as mean or rude, even
when the writer did not intend them this way.
This is the reason some people use emoticons (visual
clues) in their e-mails, it saves a lot of confusion.
|
| • |
Be careful
not to use rude or bad language online. Many
providers will terminate your account. Respect
the privacy of others. If someone sends you e-mail
on one topic, don't add him or her to your mass
e-mailings without their permission. NEVER sell
or give their e-mail address without permission
to anyone else who will use it for promotion or
advertising. Remember... you wouldn't want people
reading your mail, why should you read theirs?
It is poor manners - and thus poor netiquette
- to read other people's private material without
permission. |
| • |
Don't break
any laws. Cyberspace may seem like a completely
different world, but remember that you're still
in the real world, a world with laws and standards
of ethics. When you're on the Net, follow the
same standard of behaviour that you would in real
life. Remember, if it is against the law in the
real world, it is against the law in cyberspace.
|
| • |
Be universal.
The world isn't all the same and other users
have different Web browsers, different online
services, different e-mail programs etc. So
don't, for example, send out e-mail with text
formatting -- boldface, italics, indentations,
etc. -- because many other programs will not
be able to read the formatting and the recipients
will receive your e-mail filled with muddled
codes.
|
| • |
Be brief where
appropriate. Don't make people read stuff
they don't want to know about. Never waste bandwidth
with unnecessarily long postings and repeated
postings. One of the golden rules of replying
to an e-mail is to try editing out unimportant
information and anything that is repeated. Long
e-mails and forum postings also tend not to be
read, so all your effort may be wasted. |
| • |
Don't flame.
Do not send rude or offensive e-mails or postings.
It's bad manners and can get seriously out of
hand (flame wars). So don't flame others and if
you are flamed, do not respond: you will never
win. If you are flamed in a forum or chat room,
contact the system's administrator and make your
complaint. If you receive nasty e-mail, delete
it or ignore the meanness and respond to the sender's
actual points, minus the meanness. |
| • |
Always identify
yourself. Never send e-mail without including
your name at the bottom of the e-mail. Similarly,
don't post forum messages without identifying
yourself, this is seen as rude. (In e-mail, always
fill in the subject box, so people can see what
the mail concerns). |
| • |
Make a good
impression. Remember that the written word
is the only way you can represent yourself online,
so spelling and grammar count. If your are going
to be writing a large amount of text for other
people to see, make sure you break it up using
paragraphs, it will make it easier on the eye
for those that will read it. |
| • |
Be patient
with newcomers. Once you have become an Internet
expert, it is easy to forget that you started
out as a newbie too. Learning the protocol of
cyberspace is much like learning a new language;
it takes practice, and includes making mistakes.
So if you come across someone else's mistakes
on the net, don't put them down, just politely
point them in the right direction for guidance
(send them a copy of these rules to get them started
on their way!). |
| • |
Things to
remember about your e-mail account:
| - |
Check e-mail
regularly... so you can respond quickly |
| - |
Delete
messages after you read them... frees up
storage space for more productive use |
| - |
Don't send
confidential information in your mail...
others may be able to read/access it |
| - |
Don't be
hasty when you send... if you write a message
when you're upset, wait before you send
it |
| - |
Be professional...
your e-mail is a reflection of you |
| - |
Keep messages
concise... no one wants to read through
a lot of unnecessary information |
| - |
Don't send
chain letters... they're as annoying on
the internet as they are in real life |
| - |
Don't use
all capital letters... it seems like your
shouting! Things to remember when participating
in a discussion group: |
| - |
Before
asking or responding in a newsgroup, take
the time to feel the group out |
| - |
Stick to
the topic of the discussion group |
| - |
When quoting
someone, use only the portion of the quote
that is absolutely necessary · Be
brief and concise |
| - |
Avoid "flame
wars" |
| - |
Don't send
personal messages to an entire newsgroup,
use e-mail |
| - |
Use correct
grammar and spelling If you have any comments
or suggestions, please mail: |
|
| • |
Things to remember
when participating in a discussion group:
| - |
Before
asking or responding in a newsgroup, take
the time to feel the group out |
| - |
Stick to
the topic of the discussion group |
| - |
When quoting
someone, use only the portion of the quote
that is absolutely necessary |
| - |
Be brief
and concise |
| - |
Avoid "flame
wars" |
| - |
Don't send
personal messages to an entire newsgroup,
use e-mail |
| - |
Use correct
grammar and spelling |
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