Netiquette for Educators

E-mail and other forms of electronic communication have become important means of communication in our society. Educators must recognize this phenomenon and prepare their students and themselves for using electronic communication effectively.

Many people who use computers have never been taught network etiquette, or "netiquette." There are many practices that are considered standard in Internet circles. I also have my preferences that are based on my bias as an educator. Netiquette can apply to communication such as e-mails, listservs and newsgroups/web boards.

General Netiquette

The following points apply to all types of electronic communication:

• Make your messages concise.
• Be professional and courteous—you are representing the teaching profession.
• Set an example as an educator by using proper spelling, grammar and capitalization—even if this isn't always the standard.
• Don't use all capitals in your subject line or in your message unless you want to emphasize something. It is considered the equivalent of SHOUTING. If you want to make a point, try using *asterisks* or _underscore_ around the word or phrase you want to stress.
• Give your message a meaningful subject heading that reflects the content of the e-mails. It helps the recipient to sort them easily.
• Clip the content of the original message in a reply and include only the part that is pertinent, that way the reader doesn't have to scroll forever to remember what was said.
• Ask the original author's permission before forwarding his or her message to someone else.
• Be careful with humour and sarcasm. Without the benefit of body language or vocal inflection, your words can be easily misinterpreted. Try using "smileys" (http://members.aol.com/bearpage/smileys.htm ) or "emoticons" if you want to make sure the reader knows you are joking (but sparingly, because they can be annoying.)
• Use acronyms sparingly (for example: IMHO = in my humble opinion, BTW = by the way), as some readers may not know what they mean. A list of commonly used Internet acronyms and emoticons can be found at (http://www.pb.org/emoticon.html ).
• Never give anyone else your login identification or password.
• Remember that new users may make mistakes. Be patient.

E-mail Netiquette

E-mail is one-to-one communication and requires that we adjust our style somewhat from traditional letter-writing. In addition to the general guidelines for electronic communication above, consider these points:

• Include a signature line at the end of your e-mail that contains your title, address and phone number so people have other ways to contact you if it becomes necessary. Most e-mail programs have functions that enable you to create a signature line that will appear automatically on the bottom of all your outgoing mail.
• cc (carbon copy) or bcc (blind carbon copy) to your own e-mail address if you want to keep a copy of an e-mail. It will show the date and time the message was sent.
• Use virus protection software and scan attachments before opening them.
• Never assume that e-mail is completely private. It is a good practice to never send anything that you wouldn't want shared in public.
• Don't attach large files without the permission of the user. Some people may have slower connections. Sending a large video file as a joke, for example, might end up not being very funny if it ties up the recipient's computer for a long time. A better idea is to limit attachments to text only, and use ftp for large ones.
• Don't send "carbon copies" of those funny e-mail jokes to everyone you know. People are busy and it's good to check with them to make sure they want to be receiving this type of mail.
• Don't use HTML or special settings in your e-mail like special fonts or colours. Many older e-mail readers won't be able to recognize them (and many users find them annoying).

Listserv Netiquette

A listserv is an automatic mailing list to which people subscribe by sending an e-mail that puts them on an electronic list. When an e-mail is posted to the listserv, everyone receives that same message through his or her own e-mail.

Listservs are a way for educators to communicate and benefit from the collective wisdom of colleagues. The downside is that if you subscribe to several listservs, you may end up with many e-mail messages in your mailbox each day. After using them for a while, you will become adept at deciding what to keep and what to delete by reading the subject lines. I also have a separate e-mail account for busy listservs so I can sort through them at a convenient time. For this purpose, try free services like Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or mail.com so they don't clog up your most frequently used e-mail address. Listservs are a one-to-many means of communication. Understanding how they work is a key for using proper etiquette.

• "Lurk" on a new list for a while, so you can get a feel for the kind of messages and responses that are posted.
• Look for a "help" page or read the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for the list if they are available.
• After you subscribe, save the message you receive in a special folder. It will give you the necessary information if you want to unsubscribe later on.
• Consider apologizing for "cross-posting" if you send the same message to mailing lists that are closely related.
• Consider including a notation in your subject line (for example, [long post]) if you are posting a note that's particularly lengthy.
• Share what you know. It's what makes listservs exciting!
• See if there is a "nomail" command, or unsubscribe from a list if you will be away for a period of time and don't want to have hundreds of messages waiting for you when you get back.
• Remember that new users make mistakes. Be professional and patient.
• Don't post to the entire list when a personal e-mail reply to one person will do.
• Never leave the auto-reply on your e-mail (for example, when you go on holidays) or a message will be sent from your computer to everyone on the list each time you receive a message.
• Don't flame. "Flaming" is a barrage of angry e-mail directed towards a person or persons.
• Don't just repeat or agree with what has already been said. Your "I agree" will go to a long list of people who will be annoyed at having to delete a message without useful content.
• Don't post a message that is critical of a colleague (or might be perceived as critical). It might hinder someone from posting or participating in the future.
• Don't post anything you wouldn't want turning up later. Many listservs archive their messages.

Newsgroups/Message Board Netiquette

There are different types of programs (Web boards, newsgroups, online forums and conferences) that function like an "electronic bulletin board" for people with a common interest. They can be Web-based (so you would use your Internet browser to read and post messages) or newsgroup-based (you would use your news server and use a software program, like the news part of your email software).

They are a one-to-many form of communication where people post messages in a public place and others may respond. The benefits are similar to those of listservs in that these types of communication allow educators to share what they know with others. The difference is that the messages don't go through e-mail, but are posted in a public place. Some of them are "threaded," this means that discussions relating to the same topic are kept together and others are sorted by the date they are posted. The dos and don'ts are the same as those for listservs.

All of the ideas given for e-mail, listserv, and message board netiquette sound like a great deal to remember, but I think much of what has been said can be summed up in the following four statements:

1. The online world is similar to experiencing a new culture. When you travel to another country, you follow its socially accepted guidelines, and online behaviour is no different.
2. It's worldwide. The things you post on public discussion groups and newsgroups are available for the entire world to see. Even e-mail can't be assumed to be completely private.
3. It's a reflection of you. The things you communicate through e-mail, listservs and discussion groups are a reflection on you and your organization.
4. Using online communication can seem impersonal, but remember that there are human beings with feelings on the other side of your screen.

Netiquette

"Netiquette" is network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace. 

Etiquette in technology governs what conduct is socially acceptable in an online or digital situation. While etiquette is ingrained into culture, etiquette in technology is a fairly recent concept. The rules of etiquette that apply when communicating over the Internet or social networks or devices are different from those applying when communicating in person or by audio (such as telephone) or videophone (such as Skype video). It is a social code of network communication.

Communicating with others via the Internet without misunderstandings in the heat of the moment can be challenging, mainly because facial expressions and body languagecannot be interpreted in cyberspace. Therefore, several recommendations to attempt to safeguard against these misunderstandings have been proposed.

What happened to your netiquette? Sound advice before you post part 2

Another source of online idiocy is with our personal and financial details. Mobile shopping is booming in Hong Kong, with PayPal reporting that around 1.1 million people have shopped on a smartphone or tablet in the past year - a growth of 444 per cent in a single year - spending a whopping HK$6.4 billion.

Research from Nielsen finds that 62 per cent of Hong Kong shoppers do not believe mobile shopping transactions are safe enough while 15 per cent of mobile shoppers have actually experienced fraud. The fact that over half of those making purchases online spend less than HK$100 suggests that confidence in the "digital wallet" needs some shoring up (PayPal's own service is one attempt at that), and that's partly because each of us knows how idiotically insecure we've made our online financial and personal data. PayPal advises that we all use unique passwords that aren't everyday words or names of our family members, pay with a trusted third party payment platform, only buy from retailers with buyer protection, and be wary of those offering unbelievably low prices.

Online etiquette protects every individual, but what about each other? Picture the scene: it's rush hour on the MTR and you're one of hundreds of people pouring out of the station. What do you do next? Keep moving, or slow down, reach for your smartphone, check your e-mails and ignore the crowd you're obstructing? We've all done it - and we know we shouldn't.

A study into smartphone use partly conducted in China by Cisco reveals that 60 per cent of people compulsively check for e-mails, texts, or social media updates - and more than half use them during social meals.

If that's you holding me up in the morning while you stop to leave a poorly judged comment on Facebook, please find a side-street to do it. No one wants to walk into an idiot on the internet.

What happened to your netiquette? Sound advice before you post

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Have you ever vented your anger at someone on an internet message board, or rashly updated your Facebook status with negative comments? If so, you're not alone because many otherwise perfectly rational human beings have a habit of going ballistic online.

The internet has always been a place for freedom of expression, with strong language, heated debates and personal attacks from anonymous posters ubiquitous. I've experienced online haters myself, albeit mildly. Last year, I wrote an article on digital television for a technology website, and the next day the editor phoned me up. "You might want to take a look at the comments on your article," he said. I wish I hadn't bothered. I'd made a small mistake when writing about transcoding compressed stereo signals which had ruffled some feathers in geekdom; more than 30 negative comments followed my article, the first few from someone identifying himself as "Shadow" brazenly accusing me of all sorts of things, and the rest a free-for-all between various posters. The language was far more colourful than anything I was allowed to write, that's for sure. I quietly corrected my mistake and never looked at the page again, but only after a few days mentally compiling a vengeful reply to Shadow over and over again.

Arguments escalate very quickly on the internet. Maybe I'm more sensitive to language than most, but I even find posts that begin, "the fact is" or "with the greatest respect" aggressive. I have little chance of keeping my cool in such forums, but it's those who post diatribes and bad language online who have the most to lose. The internet was once seen as a transient medium, but digital footprints don't go away, and with social media sign-ins used increasingly on comment boards, anything written on the internet could affect your future prospects with both partners and employers.

We need some netiquette - and fast. "Anonymity and not having to make eye contact are very emboldening for some," says Judith Kallos, an online etiquette expert at US-basedNetManners.com who has some advice for anyone posting comments on the internet. "Keep the conversation on track using acceptable language and sticking to facts without adding any personal digs or controversial terms. If you need to resort to name-calling or profanities that indicates your ideas are not really based on any substance."

What about netiquette in the new age of social media? "Social media is very narcissistic and I don't think many understand where to draw the line between what they are public about because, by its very nature, social media is 'all about me'," says Kallos. Shorter interactions online - such as on Facebook - are potentially easier to misinterpret. "Folks will always assume what the other side meant. If you don't know the person, if they are not a true friend - by definition of what a friend really is - you just can't assume what they mean, but we do. The other side also has the responsibility to take the time to ensure that their intent, tone and meaning are clear, regardless of how short their message is. But most don't do that, either," she says.

However, Kallos doesn't think there is anything new to add to these rules. "Everything we talk about when it comes to e-mail etiquette applies, regardless of where or how you are posting," she says, although there are some culture-specific nuances to netiquette: "In Asian cultures, how you are addressed is important - become too informal too soon and you risk insulting the other side. The key is to use technology with knowledge, understanding and courtesy."

Core Rules of Netiquette: Introduction

Netiquette, or network etiquette, is concerned with the "proper" way to communicate in an online environment. Consider the following "rules," adapted from Virginia Shea's The Core Rules of Netiquette, whenever you communicate in the virtual world.

Rule 1: Remember the Human

When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant message, discussion post, text, or some other method, practice the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication. Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?"

Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly should not be lower. You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone face-to-face? On most occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in the virtual world.

Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace

"Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) Depending on where you are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable in one area, where it might be considered inappropriate in another. What you text to a friend may not be appropriate in an email to a classmate or colleague. Can you think of another example?

Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth

Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous text or superfluous graphics or attachments that may take forever to download.

Rule 5: Make yourself look good online

One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical appearance, sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear (unless you post a video of yourself singing Karaoke in a clown outfit.) You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind:

• Always check for spelling and grammar errors
• Know what you're talking about and state it clearly
• Be pleasant and polite

Rule 6: Share expert knowledge

The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the ease in which information can be shared or accessed and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one of the reasons the Internet was founded. So in the spirit of the Internet's "founding fathers," share what you know! When you post a question and receive intelligent answers, share the results with others. Are you an expert at something? Post resources and references about your subject matter. Recently expanded your knowledge about a subject that might be of interest to others? Share that as well.

Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control

What is meant by "flaming" and "flame wars?" "Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion." (Shea, 1994). As an example, think of the kinds of passionate comments you might read on a sports blog. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy

Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled with care. Perhaps someone is sharing some medical news about a loved one or discussing a situation at work. What do you think would happen if this information "got into the wrong hands?" Embarrassment? Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.

Rule 9: Don't abuse your power

Just like in face-to-face situations, there are people in cyberspace who have more "power" than others. They have more expertise in technology or they have years of experience in a particular skill or subject matter. Maybe it's you who posesses all of this knowledge and power! Just remember: knowing more than others do or having more power than others may have does not give you the right to take advantage of anyone. Think of Rule 1: Remember the human.

Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Not everyone has the same amount of experience working in the virtual world. And not everyone knows the rules of netiquette. At some point, you will see a stupid question, read an unnecessarily long response, or encounter misspelled words; when this happens, practice kindness and forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if you had committed the same offense. If it's a minor "offense," you might want to let it slide. If you feel compelled to respond to a mistake, do so in a private email rather than a public forum.

The Proper Etiquette

Etiquette in technology governs what conduct is socially acceptable in an online or digital situation. While etiquette is ingrained into culture, etiquette in technology is a fairly recent concept. The rules of etiquette that apply when communicating over the Internet or social networks or devices are different from those applying when communicating in person or by audio (such as telephone) or videophone (such as Skype video). It is a social code of network communication.

Communicating with others via the Internet without misunderstandings in the heat of the moment can be challenging, mainly because facial expressions and body language cannot be interpreted in cyberspace. Therefore, several recommendations to attempt to safeguard against these misunderstandings have been proposed.

Netiquette, a colloquial portmanteau of network etiquette or 'etiquette, is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from and to and

Like the network itself, these developing norms remain in a state of flux and vary from community to community. The points most strongly emphasized about Usenet netiquette often include using simple electronic signatures, and avoiding multiposting, cross-posting, off-topic posting, hijacking a discussion thread, and other techniques used to minimize the effort required to read a post or a thread. Similarly, some Usenet guidelines call for use of unabbreviated English while users ofinstant messaging protocols like SMS occasionally encourage just the opposite, bolstering use of SMS language. However, many online communities frown upon this practice.

Common rules for e-mail and Usenet such as avoiding flamewars and spam are constant across most mediums and communities. Another rule is to avoid typing inall caps or grossly enlarging script for emphasis, which is considered to be the equivalent of shouting or yelling. Other commonly shared points, such as remembering that one's posts are (or can easily be made) public, are generally intuitively understood by publishers of Web pages and posters to Usenet, although this rule is somewhat flexible depending on the environment. On more private protocols, however, such as e-mail and SMS, some users take the privacy of their posts for granted. One-on-one communications, such as private messages on chat forums and direct SMSs, may be considered more private than other such protocols, but infamous breaches surround even these relatively private media. For example, Paris Hilton's Sidekick PDA was cracked in 2005, resulting in the publication of her private photos, SMS history, address book, etc.

A group e-mail sent by Cerner CEO Neal Patterson to managers of a facility in Kansas City concerning "Cerner's declining work ethic" read, in part, "The parking lot is sparsely used at 8 A.M.; likewise at 5 P.M. As managers—you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing; or YOU do not CARE ... In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you." After the e-mail was forwarded to hundreds of other employees, it quickly leaked to the public. On the day that the e-mail was posted to Yahoo!, Cerner's stock price fell by over 22% from a high market capitalization of US$1.5 billion.

Beyond matters of basic courtesy and privacy, e-mail syntax (defined by allows for different types of recipients. The primary recipient, defined by the To: line, can reasonably be expected to respond, but recipients of carbon copies cannot be, although they still might. Likewise, misuse of the CC: functions in lieu of traditional mailing lists can result in serious technical issues. In late 2007, employees of the United States Department of Homeland Security used large CC: lists in place of a mailing list to broadcast messages to several hundred users. Misuse of the "reply to all" caused the number of responses to that message to quickly expand to some two million messages, bringing down their mail server. In cases like this, rules of netiquette have more to do with efficient sharing of resources—ensuring that the associated technology continues to function—rather than more basic etiquette. On Usenet, cross-posting, in which a single copy of a message is posted to multiple groups is intended to prevent this from happening, but many newsgroups frown on the practice, as it means users must sometimes read many copies of a message in multiple groups.