What is Netiquette?
Simply stated, it's network etiquette - that is the etiquette of cyberspace and
"etiquette" means the forms of required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to
be required in social or official life. In other words, netiquette is a set of rules for
behaving properly online.
Netiquette, or network etiquette, is concerned with the "proper" way to
communicate in an online environment. Consider the following "rules," adapted from
Virginia Shea's the Core Rules of Netiquette, whenever you communicate in the virtual
world.
When you use e-mail, instant messenger, video calls, or discussion boards to
communicate with others online, please be sure to follow the rules of professional
online communications known as netiquette. These rules will help you communicate
with instructors, classmates, and potential employers more effectively and will help
prevent misunderstandings.
REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE
Even though you may be interacting with a computer screen, you are
communicating with a real person who will react to your message. Make a good
impression - treat others with the same respect that you would like to receive and avoid
confrontational or offensive language
To help convey meaning when creating messages, it is sometimes acceptable to
include appropriate emoticon symbols, such as a smiley face :) However, for
professional communications these would be inappropriate.
Rules of Netiquette
AVOID SLANG, ACRONYMS, AND TEXT TALK
Communicating effectively in college and business environments requires the
use of correct terminology, spelling, and grammar that can easily be understood. For
example, use "your" instead of "ur".
AVOID "SCREAMING" IN TYPED MESSAGES
Typing an entire message using all capital letters is known as "screaming". It is
distracting and generally frowned upon in professional environments. It is better to draw
I emphasis to selected words or phrases by: using italic or bold text; using a different
color I for text or background color; or denoting emphasis using special characters
(Example: **Important**).
PROOFREAD YOUR MESSAGES BEFORE SENDING THEM
Proofreading your messages before you send them is a best practice for
effective and efficient communication.
Strive to make your communications concise and free of any:
X-Spelling and grammar errors
X-Confusing terms or phrases that could be misunderstood
X-Errors of omission, such as missing content
or recipients
X-Errors in accuracy of information
EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHERS ONLINE
E-mail and chat messages that you send or receive are considered private and
should not be forwarded or copied to others without gaining the consent of all involved
participants.
In general, messages posted to discussion boards and social media sites can be
read by the public. You may never know who might read or share what you post. It is a
good practice to always ask a post's author for permission before sharing a post with
other parties.
To protect your privacy and safety, do not share online any sensitive personal
information such as:
X - Your home address or phone number
X - Personal conversations
X-Social plans, such as vacations
X- Financial information
X-Usernames, passwords, or hints
X- Anything personal that you would not want shared by others over the Internet.
X If the material you share with others online came from another source, make
every effort to gain permission from the original author or copyright holder.
X Copying someone else's work and passing it off as your own is plagiarism. It
damages your reputation and could subject you to serious academic and legal
consequences.
RESPECT DIVERSITY IN VIEWPOINTS
X- Be constructive and respectful when sharing opinions, beliefs, and criticisms,
or responding to those of others in the conversation.
X- When sharing a viewpoint that differs from someone else's, it is a best practice
to first acknowledge the other person by briefly restating what he or she said, but in your
own words. This lets the person know that you are listening and trying to understand
them.
X-When presenting an opinion or criticism, it is helpful to use phrases that
identify to whose point of view you are referring. If the opinion is yours, you can begin
with the phrase "In my experience" or "In my opinion". If it is a viewpoint of someone
else, make sure you identify that in your message (Example: "According to Eric Ericson,"
or "The president believes").
