The do's and dont's of netiquette

1. By Kendra Bell

2.  Remember the golden rule. Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you. Treat
people on the internet how you would like to
be treated in person. Just because you are
online does not mean you are not
speaking/interacting with humans.

3.  Hold the same standards for yourself online
as you do in real life. A conversation online
will eventually result in real life conversation
do not forget who you are. Actions speak
louder than words so reposting that nasty
comment about your best friend may result
in serious consequences. Do not break the
law online and be ethical. Cyber bullying is
as much of a crime as bullying in person.

4.  Be aware of your cyber surroundings. Just
like you would write a paper differently
based on the audience you will need to do
the same with blogs. Before posting to a
blog look at previous posts to get a feel for
how the people interact with each other so
as not to offend anyone with your post.
What is acceptable in some blogs may not be
in others.

5.  Respect other people’s time. When writing an
email make sure you put a topic and only send it
to people that it directly affects. Do not send
chain letters or numerous pictures unless the
receiver has specifically asked for them. Keep
emails short and to the point. Do not attach
large files to emails that could eat up other
peoples bandwidth unless requested. Allow the
person you email a reasonable amount of time to
respond to your email before sending a second
email. Always let someone know that you have
received emails of importance so they don’t
have to waste time calling you to verify.

6.  Make yourself look good online. Take advantage
of the fact that know one online really knows
you and therefore you can make yourself look
like the most pleasant person one could ever
meet just by taking these precautions:
Know what you are talking about before
you post about it make sure your sources are
reliable.
Never curse online
Never post pictures of yourself drunk or
unclothed.
Never start a fight online
Never play a part in cyber bullying

7.  Share expert knowledge. On blogs if you
have been through something that answers a
bloggers question then share this with the
community so that people can read and learn
from your experiences. The internet was
developed to share information with one
another. Always be sure to cite quotes and
the knowledge of others via giving the
website or name of person responsible for
such knowledge.

8.  Respect other people’s privacy. Do not post
or repost pictures of other people online
without their permission. Avoid talking about
other peoples issues online or sharing their
stories without permission. Do not read
other people’s emails or text messages
without permission.

9.  Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.
Understand that things in writing often can
be misconstrued and ask for clarification
before jumping to conclusions. If someone
says something offensive accept their point
of view, tell them that you were offended
and then move on.