Netiquette
Here’s the thing: just because you’re hidden away behind the screen of your smartphone, laptop, desktop, tablet, smartwatch or whatever other new gadget Apple has brainwashed you into buying (seriously, airpods? What are those?), it doesn’t mean you throw out what you know on etiquette. Before this turns into a hateful rant on Apple and their $159 ear plugs, let’s learn about Netiquette.
What is netiquette? Quite simply, the term is derived from combining the words net, in reference to the internet, and etiquette. Think of it as a guideline for what is and is not acceptable to put on the internet. These guidelines aren’t always followed, and sadly it seems like the majority of the online population was never informed of them to begin with.
The internet is so awesome. What would we do without it? I can’t even imagine my life without Google. What do you mean go to the library and look something up in a book? No thanks. Unfortunately, the wonderful world wide web doesn’t come without its complications. Privacy concerns, abusive behaviour and spam are some of the many issues an internet user has to deal with. This is where the aforementioned netiquette comes in handy.
The BBC website has a section called Webwise, where it is stated that they are trying to “make the most of being online”. There, they posted an informative article that talks about netiquette and the basic rules.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-netiquette
So let’s dissect a few of them.
- Refrain from personal abuse.
- Pretty obvious one to begin with. Personal abuse is not okay in person, nor online. Remember that your actions online have the same consequences they would anywhere else. Anonymity gives some the false notion that accountability is thrown out the window, however this is not the case. From the earliest days of education and learning, personal abuse towards others has been discouraged, so let’s remember that as online citizens as well.
2. Don’t spam.
- Spam is posting something, whether it be a comment, question, or advertisement, repeatedly in order to be seen. In face to face communication, we do not repeatedly shout out the things we say, as it is unacceptable and restricts effective communication. Others become disinterested in what you are saying if you spam. So don’t spam. It’s very annoying.
3. Write clearly.
- Use your own discretion with this one. Of course we’ve all fallen into the trap of internet slang and have found a way to shorten everything. In a casual environment, such slang is fine. You don’t need to use formal language while texting your buddies or responding to the 19 unread texts from your mom. However in a professional online setting, stay away from the slang. Conduct yourself the same way you would when speaking to a professor at school or your boss at work. In addition to writing properly, if you’re not writing clearly, you’re not being taken seriously. So brush up on your vocabulary, practice your grammar, and use spellcheck!!!
4. Remember, your posts are public.
- As stated before, just because you can remain anonymous, it doesn’t mean you’re free to do as you please without repercussions. Don’t post or say anything you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing in person with friends, family and acquaintances.
5. Stay on topic.
- Relating this to the professional online setting again, it is important to stay on topic. In an email thread with co-workers discussing important highlights of the last meeting, discuss important highlights of the last meeting. On a review website such as Yelp, give your restaurant review. On a basketball forum, discuss basketball. Don’t get off topic and start commenting on unrelated things. This causes distractions to others who are there for the intended purpose. It causes people to skip over your inputs because they view them as unimportant and unrelated. Stay on topic and provide meaningful dialogue that aids others who are relying on it.
6. Don’t expect others to do it for you.
- WebWise says not to expect others to do your homework for you, but this can go even farther than that. Many times when people are looking for answers to a problem they are facing, they are only interested in the final answer so they can move on as quickly as possible. Rather than using the resources on the internet to help them as they work, they expect the resources on the internet to do the work and deliver to them on a silver platter. When you’re trying to solve something and need the internets help to do it, work in unison and get to the final result.
Following these guidelines isn’t too difficult a task. We need to stay on top of netiquette in order to generate a welcoming online environment. Technological advances are causing the internet to progress rapidly. As internet users, we need to keep up and progress with it.