As with every other form of communication, there's a code of proper behavior
for talking on the Internet -- it's called "netiquette". Knowing and following proper
"netiquette" is extremely important because of the ease of communicating almost
instantaneously on the Internet. When you find yourself with the ability to respond
immediately and in a semi-anonymous fashion to the remarks of another, you may also
discover within yourself an uncomfortable tendency to "shoot from the hip" verbally,
and that can cause problems.
Because you have the ability to answer an email or discussion list message a
moment or two after receiving it, you may find yourself forging straight ahead, without
taking time out to consider how your remarks are likely to be received at the other end.
Then, there's the problem with humor -- clever asides, gentle sarcasms, and friendly
kidding are sometimes lost in the transmission, because the receiver of your message
can neither hear your voice nor see your expression. Furthermore, he may not know
you at all, and thus not be familiar with, or attuned to, your individual manner of
speaking or "quirky" sense of humor.
That's what this lesson is all about -- observing the rules of proper Netiquette in
order to calm the conversational waters, promote safe navigating, avoid treacherous
rocks and shoals, and reach safe harbor.
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Here are a few basic rules of Netiquette that you should know and follow:
1. Never communicate in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. On the Net, this is *shouting*
and is generally considered rude. Without being able to see expressions or hear
voices, there are not many ways to express strong opinions in Net
correspondence; so ALL CAPS has been designated for this purpose. Besides, if
you've ever tried reading a document written in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, you'll
know immediately how it can strain your eyes. Staring at a computer screen all
day is hard enough to begin with so don't make it any harder. If you want to
emphasize a word or phrase, ALL CAPS is fine, or better yet -- separate it from
the rest of the text by using the * at either end, *like this*.
2. Always fill in the subject line in your correspondences to others on the Net; this
is considered polite. If the original subject line was "The Benefits of Daily
Massage” make sure your reply says "Re: The Benefits of Daily Massage. That
way, the recipient of your message will know what to expect. Keep your
messages brief and to the point and back up your arguments with facts, relevant
articles, or references.
3. Respect the character of the list and try to stick to its designated subject. If the
list is one devoted to discussing reference issues, members may not be willing
to consider problems associated with various types of hardware and technical
support.
4. Answer individual requests individually, and submit relevant responses of global
interest to the list. Some large lists ask members to do this, in order to keep
correspondences to a manageable level.
5. Don't type anything on your screen that you wouldn't tell someone face-to-face.
Remember, there are *people* out there on the Internet, and sometimes they
get cranky and take what you say the wrong way. Re-read your post before you
submit it to the discussion.
If you are not sure how the message may be
perceived, have a friend, or someone close by read it and offer their opinion and
maybe a suggestion or two on how to get your point across.
6. If you are replying to a previous posting, always quote or paraphrase the part
you are replying to; do *not* include the entire original message in your reply.
Take the time to delete, cut and paste so that only relevant parts of the original
message remain. This is important because it's tedious to re-read the entire
original message in someone else's reply. However, inserting a clue, or
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reference point, is appreciated, especially if the reply is delayed or if it arrives
before the original message does (this happens!).
7. Part of your grade in a discussion posting is based on the quality of the post.
Responding with a simple “I agree” is not an example of a quality posting.
Explain what portion of the previous message you agree with and why, support
your position with references to the textbook or to a relevant article you found
on the Internet. Be sure to cite your references to give proper credit where
credit is due.
8. Be very careful not to make statements that could be interpreted as official
pronouncements of your organization or as offers to do business. In his online
workshop, "Roadmaps," Patrick Crispen quotes his dad, the Rev. Bob Crispen,
as saying, "treat every post as though you were sending a copy to your boss,
your minister, and your worst enemy." Excellent advice; please try to follow it.
This article was developed by the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees © 1997. Slight
revisions have been made to adopt this information to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.
Retreived from: http://www.sc.edu/bck2skol/fall/lesson11.html
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