2. FABRIKAM
A F T E R G O I N G T H R O U G H T H I S M O D U L E ,
YO U A R E E X P E C T E D TO :
1 . C O MPA R E A N D C O NT R A S T T H E
N UA N C E S O F VA R I E D O N L I N E
P L AT F O R M S , S I T E S , A N D C O N T E N T TO
A C H I E V E S P E C I F I C C L A S S O B J E C T I V E S
O R A D D R E S S S I T UAT I O N A L C H A L L E N G E S ;
2 . A P P LY O N L I N E S A F E T Y, S E C U R I T Y,
E T H I C S , A N D E T I Q U E T T E S TA N D A R D S
A N D P R A C T I C E I N T H E U S E O F I C T S A S
I T W O U L D R E L AT E TO T H E I R S P E C I F I C
P R O F E S S I O N A L T R A C K S ;
A N D 3 . U S E T H E I N T E R N E T A S A TO O L
F O R C R E D I B L E R E S E A R C H A N D
I N F O R M AT I O N G AT H E R I N G TO A C H I E V E
S P E C I F I C C L A S S O B J E C T I V E S A N D O R
A D D R E S S S I T UAT I O N S .
2
8. FABRIKAM 8
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?"
9. FABRIKAM
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.
10. FABRIKAM
FABRIKAM
RULE 3: KNOW
WHERE YOU ARE
IN CYBERSPACE
10
"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?
13. FABRIKAM
FABRIKAM
RULE 6: SHARE
EXPERT
KNOWLEDGE
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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.
14. FABRIKAM 14
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.
15. FABRIKAM
FABRIKAM
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.
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16. FABRIKAM
L i k e i n f a c e - t o - f a c e s i t u a t i o n s ,
t h e r e a r e p e o p l e i n c y b e r s p a c e
w h o h a v e m o r e " p o w e r " t h a n
o t h e r s . T h e y h a v e m o r e
e x p e r t i s e i n t e c h n o l o g y o r
h a v e y e a r s o f e x p e r i e n c e i n a
p a r t i c u l a r s k i l l o r s u b j e c t
m a t t e r . M a y b e i t i s y o u w h o
p o s s e s s e s a l l o f t h i s
k n o w l e d g e a n d p o w e r ! J u s t
r e m e m b e r : k n o w i n g m o r e t h a n
o t h e r s d o o r h a v i n g m o r e
p o w e r t h a n o t h e r s m a y h a v e
d o e s n o t g i v e y o u t h e r i g h t t o
t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f a n y o n e .
T h i n k o f R u l e 1 : R e m e m b e r t h e
h u m a n .
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