Don’t You Forget Your Manners yet!
Growing up we were taught to have manners and use them in specific situations, whether it was eating at the dinner table or interacting with the people around us. Aside from face-to-face interaction, the internet is another place where we find ourselves interacting with friends, family and complete strangers. With that being said, there are rules that have developed with respect to what can and cannot be done online, this refers to Netiquette. Net etiquette…Get it?
Rule #1- Treat others the way you want to be treated
Sound familiar? It’s almost like elementary school all over again, except this time you’re behind a screen. Realistically, other than being online rather than in person there is no difference, you are still a person trying to converse with another person, and/or group of people. This means respect the opinions of others, and avoid threatening or harassing them when you come to a disagreement.
Rule #2- Avoid overusing hashtags
Hashtags are to be used like the cherry on top of your dessert-a small finishing touch. Initially, when using a hashtag you are trying to point out the main topic of interest in your post, not just use it to simply use it. An example of misusing the hashtag would be someone tweeting, “I’m actually on time for class today! #hungry #hatelife #saveme #tgif!”…It just doesn’t make sense. On the other hand a good example would be tweeting my blog and using #Netiquette.
Rule #3- Be cautious of what you post
When posting, make sure you are aware that your posts are public and can be seen by virtually anyone. Your mom might not be too happy to see you posting a provocative selfie but who cares right? Your family is not your only concern, but also your employer…that’s right, they can see your posts too. What happens on the internet, stays on the internet-remember that.
Rule #4- Keep the slang and acronyms to a minimum
When posting online it is best to stay away from using slang that is commonly understood in one distinct area, simply because there are people worldwide that may come across your tweet and not understand what the message is or misinterpret it. Acronyms are a big component to today’s online conversation, drop a “lol” here, and a “ttyl” there but just like the use of slang, acronyms can also be misunderstood or just not understood at all by people.
Rule #5- The law still exists online
The police can still take charge when you go against a law, trust me you are not hard for them to find! There are many situations online that can get you in trouble with the law such as, cyberbullying, copyright, and even going against the terms you have “agreed” to when trying to make an account or connect to free wifi, and so on. Yes I know, the terms and conditions these sites have are ridiculously long but, they’re there for a reason and if you fail to act as you agreed to on their grounds, you could get in a lot of trouble with not only the company but even the police! So atleast try and glance it over and get an idea on what you’re agreeing to.
You get the idea…hopefully.
Now that you’ve read and understand these rules, you can go out there and let them guide you through your everlasting presence on the internet!
