The Internet’s Code of Conduct : Netiquette
The web isn’t that different from the actual world. Just as there are rules and regulations in our everyday lives, there are rules and regulations that exist on the web.
The millions of forum sites and hundreds of social media networks that exist on the web have their own accepted rules of behavior. It is important to understand that every platform has their own unique code of conduct. When using your university email platform to communicate between you and your professor for example, there are rules that you and your professor must adhere to. There must be a degree of formality and professionalism in the emails sent back and forth between the two users. The use of slang is prohibited. For example, when a Toronto Metropolitan University student using Ryerson Mail to email their Radiation Biology professor to inquire about the exam details I am not going to start off my email saying, “Hey, I have question”. The use of slang and informal phrases in general are not a part of Ryerson Mail’s accepted rules of behavior. A more appropriate and accepted way of starting off my email would be : “Hello Dr. Gilbride, I have a question to ask you in regards to the final exam”. In contrast, when using a messaging app to communicate with your friend, the rules and regulations are less strict compared to using a university email platform. Slang is allowed to be used. For example, it is appropriate and accepted to message my friend on the Facebook Messenger App to inquire about the exam details by saying, “Hey, I have a question”. The point I am trying to get across is that each online discussion group, forum, emailing platform, or messaging app has its own accepted rules of behavior. It is similar to that of real life, where the environment at work, the environment at school, and the environment at your friend’s house have its own accepted rules of behavior.
Although each social network has its own distinctive accepted rules of behavior, there are general guidelines that all users of the web should adhere to:
(1) Refraining from personal abuse online
You are allowed to express your disagreements with someone else’s opinion online, but you are not allowed to make malicious comments or threaten them with physical harm. Cyberbullying is a form of harassment using electronic forms of contact, and has been increasingly common, especially around teenagers. Nearly all provinces in Canada have cyberbullying laws in place, meaning that threatening someone online can land you in some serious jail time. It is in best interest for everyone online to stay away from cyberbullying in general.
(2) Refraining from spamming
Spam is flooding the Internet with multiple copies of the same message or advertisement, in an attempt to force the message onto people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Spamming ruins the online experience for internet users in general. Most spam is commercial advertisement for sketchy products and services like “get-rich-quick schemes”. A good way to enhance your online experience is to download an Ad Blocker to help you get rid of all the advertisements that flood up the website you are browsing. You need to make sure that you don’t contribute to the spamming of the internet.
(3) Refrain from being some way online that you wouldn’t be in person
Your posts on social networks are public. Whether you are anonymously posting or are posting under your name, you should not be a way that you wouldn’t be in person. An inappropriate post can ruin your life. An employer can check your Twitter profile before or even during an interview and put you on the spot for writing a certain post. The internet shouldn’t be seen as an escape from real life where you can post unfiltered thoughts or inappropriate pictures. Behave on social networks the way you would behave in person.
Social networks can be a very informative tool to communicate with friends and colleagues. It is crucial that you adhere to the accepted rules of behavior of a website. Before signing up for a specific social networking site, you should get a friend that is already on the site to tell you the do’s and don’ts. In the case that you don’t have a friend that is already on the site you wish to sign up for, it is probably a good idea to watch a tutorial of how to get started on the site. YouTube is a good place to find tutorials for this nature. At very least, if you don’t plan on confiding in a friend or watching any tutorials before signing up with a site, make sure you follow the three general guideline points described prior to this paragraph. Good luck exploring the web !
