The Importance of online Etiquette

Carson

Reading 113

Netiquette Report

The Importance of Online Etiquette

        Online etiquette, also known as netiquette is by definition the correct or acceptable way to communicate on the internet. In this paper I will be focusing on nine main points of online etiquette and the importance of each of them.

        The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you’d have others do unto you. This rule that most children are taught at a young age is often forgotten on a daily basis, especially online. Remember that although all you can see is a computer screen. There is a person with real feelings and emotions on the other side. It helps to ask yourself this question “Would I say this to someone in person?” before pressing the send button.

        Avoid excessive use of exclamation points and capital letters. To you these may be ways of showing excitement, while the person reading the post or message takes it as anger. An absence of face-to-face clues can cause written text to be misinterpreted. Try not to use humor or sarcasm. In an online setting you lose the ability to use facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to communicate. Humor and sarcasm depend on tone of voice or facial expression that are absent in text communication.

        Re-read what you’ve written before sending. Messages often appear perfectly clear to you as the writer and turn out to be confusing to the reader. Especially if you feel strongly about something, often times we find ourselves rambling. It is best to re-read your message or post aloud to yourself to be sure that it makes sense and flows smoothly

        Be short and sweet, stick to the subject. When contributing to discussions, be aware of people’s time. When you send an email or post to a discussion you are taking up people’s time. It is your responsibility to ensure the time they spend reading your post isn’t wasted. If you have several points you want to make, it may be a good idea to post them separately rather than a single message. Often times points are missed when hidden in a flood of text.

        Be sure of yourself. Know what you are talking about and check your facts. Bad or wrong information spreads like wildfire on the internet. Do your research and cite your sources to back up what you are saying.

        Spelling and grammar are a lost art in the online world. Be sure to use spellcheck and again re-read your post or email to be sure that it makes sense before sending. Spelling and grammar do count!

        Be forgiving of peoples mistakes, spelling errors, stupid questions or unnecessarily long answers. If you feel that you need to correct someone or address their mistakes, be pleasant and polite. Don’t be confrontational.