Netiquette
Means network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication. A set of rules for behaving properly online.
It covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace.
The purpose of netiquette
- To avoid social blunders
- To avoid offending people without the intention to do so.
- To
remind us that we are dealing with the humans behind the screen.
Ethics
A branch of philosophy that seeks to address questions about morality, i.e., concepts like good and bad, right and wrong, justice, virtue etc.
Etiquette
The forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in social or official life.
10 Rules of Good Netiquette
[1] Remember the human
[2] Adhere to real-life standards of behavior
[3] Know where you are in cyberspace
[4] Respect other people's time and bandwith
[5] Make yourself look good online
[6] Share expert knowledge
[7] Help keep flame wars under control
[8] Respect other people's privacy
[9] Don't abuse your power
[10] Be forgiving of other people's
mistakes
[1] Remember the human
- "Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you".
- Electronic communication lacks facial expression, gestures and tone of voice to convey meaning, making it easy to misinterpret meaning of words.
Would you say it to the person's face?
If no, rewrite and reread. Repeat process until you are sure that you would feel comfortable saying these words to the live person as you do sending them thru cyberspace.
Remember: When you communicate thru cyberspace, you words are written. Chances are they're stored somewhere to come back and haunt you.
Any message sent could be saved by its recipient. You have no control over where it goes.
[2] Adhere to real-life standards of behavior
May be different in some areas of cyberspace, but not lower than in real life.
Be ethical - if you encounter an ethical dilemma in cyberspace, consult the code you follow in real life.
Breaking the law is bad netiquette.
If you use shareware, pay for it
Paying for shareware encourages more people to write shareware. The few dollars don't mean much to us but they benefit the internet in the long run.
[3] Know where you are in cyberspace
Netiquette varies from domain to domain. What is acceptable in one are might be rude in another.
It is important to know where you are
Lurk before you leap
When you enter a new domain of cyberspace, look around.
Spend time listening to the chat or reading the archives.
Get a sense of how
people who are already there act. Then participate.
[4] Respect other people's time and bandwith
Don't Spam
- Spamming [another word for sending the same or similar messages lots of times] can be annoying and may have the opposite effect.
Accidentally posting the same note to the same forum 5 times wastes time [people who check each copy] and bandwidth [by sending repetitive info over the wires and requiring it to be stored somewhere]
Don't be a diva. Don't expect instant responses to all your questions, and don't assume that all readers will agree with or care about your passionate arguments.
- Before you @mention people on your messages, ask yourself whether they really need to know.
If no, don't waste their time. If maybe, think twice before you post.
Bandwidth
The
information-carrying capacity of the wires and channels that connect everyone in cyberspace.
Also refers to the storage capacity of a host system [website hosting bandwidth]
[5] Make yourself look good online
Take advantage of your physical anonymity. You won't be judged by appearance. But you will be judged by the quality of your writing.
Know what you're talking about and make sense.
Pay attention to
the content of your writing. Ensure your notes are clear and logical.
Be pleasant and polite. Avoid offensive language and don't be confrontational for the sake of confrontation.
If must swear, think alternatives.
Check grammar and spelling before you post. Most people judge others' intelligence based on the use of grammar and spelling.
[6] Share Expert Knowledge
Internet was founded and grew because academics wanted to share info. Don't be afraid to share what you know.
If you ask a question and anticipate many answers, request replies by email instead of to the group.
Share results of your questions with others, so everyone benefits from the experts who took time to write to you.
If you are an expert on something, or you have researched a topic that may be of interest to others, write it up and post. Sharing knowledge is fun and makes the world a better place.
Help keep flame wars under control
"Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back emotion.
Netiquette does not forbid flaming. Flaming is a long-standing network tradition [and Netiquette never messes with tradition]
Netiquette does however forbid the perpetuation of flame wars that can dominate the tone and destroy the camaraderie of a discussion group.
Avoid conflict. Trading insults and abuse are not good netiquette.
Avoid being drawn into fights and never post abuse on someone's message board [trolling]
MCMC
Malaysian Communication & Malaysia Commission
[8] Respect other people's privacy
Don't pass on another person's private information or photos unless you have
their permission.
- bad netiquette but may also be accused of online harassment.
Failing to respect other people's privacy [such as e-mail] is not just bad Netiquette. Can cost you your job.
[9] Don't abuse power
Some people in cyberspace have more power than others.
e.g: experts in office, system admins
Having more power than others does not give you the right to take advantage of them. For example, system admin should never read private e-mail.
[10] Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
When someone makes a mistake, be kind about it.
If minor error, no need to say anything.
Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else.
If you inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely and preferable by private email rather than in public.
Give people benefit of the doubt.