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Internet Help - Netiquette

Netiquette, or internet etiquette, is the accepted behaviors when communicating on the internet. Because, on the internet, the only thing that people can see is the words on the screen, it is important to choose one’s words and behaviors carefully, because the other person or people cannot read your body language or the “tone” of what you are saying.
 
Netiquette – General Rules
There are some good general netiquette rules that you should always follow.
  • Always remember that you are interacting with real human beings, even if all you see are words on the computer screen.

 

  • Stick with the same code of conduct online that you follow in real life.

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  • Respect others.

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  • Convey and share only what you know to be true.

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  • Respect other people’s privacy and do not pry.

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  • Do not share instant message conversations, chat-room transcripts, or emails with people other than the participants.

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  • Use good grammar and punctuation.

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  • Do not write in all capital letters, as it looks like SHOUTING.

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    Netiquette – Email Rules
    • Always assume that your email is not private; do not write anything in an email that you do not want the world to read.
    • Be polite and respectful.
    • Use a subject heading that is on topic.
    • When communicating with colleagues and co-workers, write in a professional, business-like tone.
    • Do not forward or share private emails without the original author’s permission.
    • Do not send emails written in a moment of heated anger; instead, wait until you have calmed down before emailing. Likewise, do not respond in type if you receive an angry email.
    • Do not constantly forward jokes, etc. as many email recipients find them to be annoying.
    • Do not send unsolicited emails to strangers – this is considered spamming.
     
    Netiquette – Chat Rules
    Whether you are in a chat room or talking in instant messages, there are some good basic rules to follow.
    • Do not greet everyone individually, unless you know them.
    • Respect the rules of the chat room.
    • Do not ask others for person information – if they want you to know, they will volunteer that information.
    • Do not assume that everyone will want to talk to you.
    • Do not start arguments with others in the room.
    • If you are angry or annoyed, leave the room until you have calmed down.
    • Do not divulge or share transcripts of the chat-room session with people who did not participate.
     
    Netiquette – Discussion Groups and Bulletin Boards
    • Follow the guidelines.
    • Spend time reading previous posts and learning about the culture of the group.
    • Do not immediately start posting.
    • Stay on topic, be to the point and brief.
    • Remember that much of the information will be archived and available to everyone else in the group, forever – including future members.
    • If replying to a specific post, include enough of the original post so that other readers will know who and what you are responding to.
    • Do not send personal messages to the group.
    • Disagreements happen and not everyone is going to get along; if the group contains people that you do not get along with, just ignore them, do not bait them.
    • Do not send “me too” type messages.
    • Do not forward joke emails, inspirational messages, etc. to the group as a whole.