Basic Netiquette Rules for Bloggers
Basic Netiquette Rules for Bloggers
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Image Credit: Thomas Galvez |
1. Be kind and professional
Online communication comes with a level of anonymity that doesn’t exist when you’re talking to someone face-to-face. Sometimes this leads people to behave rudely when they disagree with one another. Online students probably don’t have the complete anonymity that comes with using a screen name, but you could still fall prey to treating someone poorly because of the distance between screens. Make a point to be kind and respectful in your comments—even if you disagree with someone.
“At the core, all of these mistakes come down to forgetting that an online classroom is still a classroom,” Lynch says. “Good netiquette means conducting yourself in an online class with the same respect, politeness and professionalism that you would exhibit in a real-life classroom.”
2. NO YELLING, PLEASE
There’s a time and a place for everything—BUT IN MOST SITUATIONS TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS INAPPROPRIATE. Most readers tend to perceive it as shouting and will have a hard time taking what you say seriously, no matter how intelligent your response may be. If you have vision issues, there are ways to adjust how text displays so you can still see without coming across as angry.
3. Sarcasm can (and will) backfire
Sarcasm has been the source of plenty of misguided arguments online, as it can be incredibly difficult to understand the commenter’s intent. What may seem like an obvious joke to you could come across as off-putting or rude to those who don’t know you personally. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid sarcasm altogether in an online classroom. Instead, lean toward being polite and direct in the way you communicate to avoid these issues.
4. Know where you are in cyberspace
What's perfectly acceptable in one area may be dreadfully rude in another. For example, in most TV discussion groups, passing on idle gossip is perfectly permissible. But throwing around unsubstantiated rumors in a journalists' mailing list will make you very unpopular there.
When you enter a domain of cyberspace that's new to you, take a look around. Spend a while listening to the chat or reading the archives. Get a sense of how the people who are already there act. Then go ahead and participate.
5. Share expert knowledge
Finally, after all that negativity, some positive advice.
The strength of cyberspace is in its numbers. The reason asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. And if even a few of them offer intelligent answers, the sum total of world knowledge increases. The Internet itself was founded and grew because scientists wanted to share information. Gradually, the rest of us got in on the act.
Sharing your knowledge is fun. It's a long-time net tradition. And it makes the world a better place.
6. Respect other people's privacy
Of course, you'd never dream of going through your colleagues' desk drawers. So naturally you wouldn't read their email either.
Unfortunately, a lot of people would. This topic actually rates a separate section.
7. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
Everyone was a network newbie once. And not everyone has had the benefit of reading this book. So when someone makes a mistake -- whether it's a spelling error or a spelling flame, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer -- be kind about it. If it's a minor error, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else.
8. Be careful when dealing with emails from unknown sources
So when you do get a phishing email, ignore it completely and:
- don’t reply to the e-mail
- don’t click the (malicious) attachment
- don’t click the dangerous links in the e-mail that could download malware on the system
9. Just because it’s free, it doesn’t mean it’s safe
As a rule of thumb, paid software is almost always secure and safe. It wouldn’t make sense for a cybercriminal to limit the number of victims by imposing a paywall.Double check free software using Google, especially if it’s not a well-known one, such as WinRAR.This filtering process can expose bad reviews, or reveal that the free software is actually a vehicle for malware.10. Do not reveal sensitive information online
Social media is the first place criminals check to gather information on you. They will use any piece of information they can find, such as your name, birthdate, address, city, your spouse/partners name, what sort of pet you have, name of the pet. Literally, anything that you can think of.11. Report illegal activities or offending content
If you notice offending language attacks, like cyber-bullying, hate speech or any form of harassment, do not hesitate to report it.
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