Netiquette
The Code of Conduct for the Internet [ by Jason ]
http://www.yeawedo.com/netiquette.htm Table of Contents
Rule 1. We are all human, even on the internet.
Rule 2. Follow the same rules online that you would in real life.
Rule 3. Remember where you are when you are online.
Rule 4. Have respect for others when you are online.
INTRODUCTION
Just like in the real world where people interact face to face or via telephone, netiquette and protocol must be acknowledged. The internet is one of the most ambigious forms of communication due to the way one can convey information to another person. This is why "Netiquette" was created. It is basically some guidelines of normative behavior for the internet. Awareness of these rules will help you communicate and interact with others with out any kind of problems or misunderstandings.
THE CORE RULES OF NETIQUETTE
The following rules are some of the most basic to follow. Check them out.
Rule 1. We are all human, even on the internet.
Never forget that the person reading your mail or posting is, indeed, a person, with feelings that can be hurt. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
It's not nice to hurt other people's feelings. Who are you trying to prove anything to? Just keep offensive comments to yourself and try to be constructive.
Never type a whole message in caps, whethere its an instant message, a reply to a post in a message board, or in an email. writing a whole message in caps means that one is yelling (unless you do not mean it that way). If you do not mean it to come across that way, make sure you tell people you are not yelling. Remember, people can not tell what mood you are in by just typing something (unless you are using a webcam and microphone of course...). So please please please do not use caps to write messages. Thanks!
Never mail or post anything you wouldn't say to your reader's face. The internet is not a place to find or pick a fight. There are people out there with the same intentions you have of just researching and just finding useful information and that is all. No need to start any trouble. Please ;]
Notify your readers when flaming. For those of you who do not know what flaming is, here is the basic definition. Flaming is when a person or group of people decide to express their negativity about a certain situation, maybe a world event or something. The reason one is told to notify people when doing this is because some people may not know you are flaming. I mean, this is the internet. It's not like you have the person sitting in front of you where you can look at their face and tell they are mad or annoyed about something. So please, let people know that the post or message you are about to post is of this kind. On a side note, flaming can also be toward people. It can be toward their beliefs, comments they may have made, ideas, etc. Please do not do this kind of flaming. Again, we are trying to eliminate unneccessary confrontations on the internet.
Rule 2. Follow the same rules online that you would in real life.
Be ethical and do not jump to conclusions. People who surf the internet come from many different places around the world and have different views on things. Be open to listening to others and what they have to say. This is the internet, try to learn something new :]
Breaking the law is bad Netiquette. Enough said.
Rule 3. Remember where you are when you are online.
Netiquette varies from place to place. Not everyone follows the same rules. So always try to keep an open mind and if needed, make constructive criticisms, not negative ones.
Lurk (anonymously observe) before you leap. If you happen to jump into a chatroom or forum, do not post any comments right away. Try to read and catch up to what is going on and observe what people are saying. After you feel comfortable and think you are ready to add useful information/comments to the conversation, do so. Posting prematurely may lead to flaming (because you are trying to get into something when in reality, you do not know what is going on)
Rule 4. Have respect for others when you are online.
It's OK to think that what you're doing at the moment is the most important thing in the universe, but don't expect anyone else to agree with you.
Post messages to the appropriate discussion group. If you cannot find one and you have a feeling that you MUST post it, then make sure you label the subject of your message as off topic so people know it does not pertain to their current conversations.
Try not to ask stupid questions on discussion groups. If it is a simple question that can be answered simply by going to google, do not post it. On the other hand, if it is more an opinion type question, that may be different. Make sure you let people know you are just looking for an opinion or second though on an idea and I am sure people will be glad to help out with that.
Read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document. About 90% of the time, all questions you can think of will be answered in this section of any website. Even if you do not think they will have it there, check anyway. It has happened to me and to my surprise, the question I was thinking of was answered in that section. Just make sure you go through it all the way because some FAQ's online are very big.
When appropriate, use private email instead of posting to the group. If there is something you need to ask or comment on but feel it is unappropriate or unneccesary to post for others to see, email the individual. I am sure they would also appreciate this gesture.
I hope this helps in making anyone who has read this more aware of how and what to do when communicating and interacting with others online.
Attention New Members, Forum ettiquette
Jun 20 2005, 07:08 AM
