LESSON

2:NETIQUETTE
IN THIS GENERATION, PEOPLE ARE DEPENDENT ON THE
INTERNET. LIKE HOW PEOPLE SOCIALIZE FACE TO FACE, WE
SHOULD FOLLOW ETIQUETTE AT ALL TIMES AS IT MIRRORS OUR
PERSONALITY. BEING ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS, WE SHOULD
BE AWARE OF OUR ACTIONS AND PROTECT OURSELVES AT THE
SAME TIME. REMEMBER THAT ONCE SOMETHING HAS BEEN
SHARED ONLINE, IT CANNOT BE DELETED.
CORE RULES OF
NETIQUETTE
RULE 1: REMEMBER THE
HUMAN
 When communicating electronically, whether through
email, instant message, discussion post, text, or
another method, practice the Golden Rule: “Do unto
others as you would have others do unto you.”
Remember, your written words are read by real
people, all deserving of respectful communication.
Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself,
"Would I be okay with this if someone else had written
it?"
RULE 2: ADHERE TO THE SAME STANDARDS
OF BEHAVIOR ONLINE THAT YOU FOLLOW IN
REAL LIFE
 While it can be argued that standards of behavior
may be different in the virtual world, they certainly
should not be lower. You should do your best to act
within the laws and ethical manners of society
whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you
behave rudely to someone face-to-face? On most
occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in
the virtual world.
RULE 3: KNOW WHERE YOU
ARE IN CYBERSPACE
 "Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea,
1994) Depending on where you are in the virtual
world, the same written communication can be
acceptable in one area, where it might be considered
inappropriate in another. What you text to a friend
may not be appropriate in an email to a classmate or
colleague. Can you think of another example?
RULE 4: RESPECT OTHER
PEOPLE'S TIME AND
BANDWIDTH
 Electronic communication takes time: time to read
and time in which to respond. Most people today lead
busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to
read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion
posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your
responsibility to make sure that the time spent
reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written
communication meaningful and to the point, without
extraneous text or superfluous graphics or
attachments that may take forever to download.
RULE 5: MAKE YOURSELF
LOOK GOOD ONLINE
 One of the virtual world's best things is the lack of
judgment associated with your physical appearance,
the sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear
(unless you post a video of yourself singing Karaoke
in a clown outfit.) The quality of your writing will
judge you, so keep the following tips in mind: Always
check for spelling and grammar errors Know what
you're talking about and state it clearly Be pleasant
and polite
RULE 6: SHARE EXPERT
KNOWLEDGE
 The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the
ease in which information can be shared or accessed,
and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one
of the reasons the Internet was founded. So in the spirit
of the Internet's "founding fathers," share what you
know! When you post a question and receive intelligent
answers, share the results with others. Are you an
expert at something? Post resources and references for
your subject matter. You have recently expanded your
knowledge about a subject that might be of interest to
others? Share that as well.
RULE 7: HELP KEEP FLAME
WARS UNDER CONTROL
 What is meant by "flaming" and "flame wars?" "Flaming is
what people do when they express a strongly held opinion
without holding back any emotion." (Shea, 1994). As an
example, think of the kinds of passionate comments you
might read on a sports blog. While "flaming" is not
necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame
wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts
between one another, must be controlled, or the
camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't
feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the
discussion back to a more productive direction
RULE 8: RESPECT OTHER
PEOPLE'S PRIVACY
 Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be
it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an
email, you may be exposed to some private or personal
information that needs to be handled with care. Perhaps
someone is sharing some medical news about a loved one
or discussing a situation at work. What do you think would
happen if this information "got into the wrong hands?"
Embarrassment? Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you
expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect
the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution
when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual
communication.
RULE 9: DON'T ABUSE YOUR
POWER
 Like in face-to-face situations, there are people in
cyberspace who have more "power" than others.
They have more expertise in technology or have
years of experience in a particular skill or subject
matter. Maybe it is you who possesses all of this
knowledge and power! Just remember: knowing more
than others do or having more power than others
may have does not give you the right to take
advantage of anyone. Think of Rule 1: Remember the
human.
RULE 10: BE FORGIVING OF
OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES
 Not everyone has the same amount of experience
working in the virtual world. And not everyone knows
the rules of Netiquette. At some point, you will see a
stupid question, read an unnecessarily long response,
or encounter misspelled words; when this happens,
practice kindness and forgiveness as you would hope
someone would do if you had committed the same
offense. If it's a minor "offense," you might want to let
it slide. If you feel compelled to respond to a mistake,
do so in a private email rather than a public forum.
ACTIVITY: WHAT I HAVE
LEARNED
 Accomplish the items below using what you have learned from the
Ten Rules of Netiquette.

1. In cyberspace, it is important to remember the ________________.

“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
2. Why are spelling and grammar crucial on the Internet?
3. Is it okay to read other people's files and emails without their
permission? Why?
4. What do you need to be careful about if you are in control of a
network?
5. What should you do about a newbie who continually makes the
same error on the Internet?