Brave New Electronic World
This guide is intended to be an overview of appropriate etiquette for
interaction in online environments.
Disembodied Discussions
A key distinguishing feature of an online environment is that
communication occurs solely via the written word. Because of this, the
body language, voice tone, and instantaneous listener feedback of the
traditional world are all absent.
These facts need to be taken into account both when contributing
messages to a discussion and when reading them. Keep in mind the
following points:
Tone Down Your LanguageGiven the absence of face-to-face clues, written text can
easily be misinterpreted. Avoid the use of strong or offensive language
and the excessive use of exclamation points.
If you feel particularly strongly about a point, it may be best to
write it first as a draft and then to review it, before posting it, in
order to remove any strong language.
Keep A Straight FaceIn general, avoid humor and sarcasm. These frequently depend
either on facial or tone of voice cues absent in text communication or
on familiarity with the reader.
Be ForgivingIf someone states something that you find offensive, mention
this directly to the instructor. Remember that the person contributing
to the discussion is also new to this form of communication.
What you find offensive may quite possibly have been unintended and
can best be cleared up by the instructor.
The Recorder Is OnThink carefully about the content of your message before
contributing it. Once sent to the group, there is no taking it back.
Also, although the grammar and spelling of a message typically are
not graded, they do reflect on you, and your audience might not be able
to decode misspelled words or poorly constructed sentences.
It is a good practice to compose and check your comments in a
word-processor before posting them.
Test For ClarityMessages may often appear perfectly clear to you as you
compose them, but turn out to be perfectly obtuse to your reader. One
way to test for clarity is to read your message aloud to see if it flows
smoothly.
If you can read it to another person before posting it, even
better.
NetspeakAlthough electronic communication is still young, many
conventions have already been established. DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPS. This
is regarded as shouting and is out of place in a classroom.
Acronyms and emoticons (arrangements of symbols to express
emotions) are popular, but excessive use of them can make your message
difficult to read. Some common ones include:
AcronymsEmoticonsFYI = for your information
:-) = smiley face: happiness, pleasure
B/C = because
:-( = frowning face: displeasure
W/ = with
;-) = wink
BTW = by the way
:-0 = shock, surprise
F2F = face to face
:-/ = skepticism, unease, apologetic
FAQ = frequently asked questions
A Course is a Course
You may be familiar with many of the previous points if you have
participated in other forms of electronic communication in the past. But
Web-based courses have some added constraints not present in other
arenas.
Keep in mind these additional four points:
Remember Your PlaceA Web-based classroom is still a classroom, and comments
that would be inappropriate in a regular classroom are likely to be
inappropriate in a Web-based course as well.
Treat your instructor and your fellow students with respect.
Brevity Is BestBe as concise as possible when contributing to a discussion.
Web-based courses require a lot of reading, and your points might be
missed if hidden in a flood of text.
If you have several points that you want to make, it might be a good
idea to post them individually, in several more focused messages, rather
than as a single, lengthy, all-encompassing message.
Stick To The PointContributions to a discussion should have a clear subject
header, and you need to stick to the subject. Don't waste others' time
by going off on irrelevant tangents.
Read First, Write LaterDon't add your comments to a discussion before reading the
comments of other students unless the assignment specifically asks you
to. Doing so is tantamount to ignoring your fellow students and is rude.
Comments related to the content of previous messages should be posted
under them to keep related topics organized, and you should specify the
person and the particular point you are following up on.
Citations and Other Etiquette Sources
Many of the points made here were taken from The Core Rules of Netiquette, excerpted from the book Netiquette, by Virginia Shea. The Core Rules of Netiquette can be accessed at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.