▪ Comes from the words ‘Internet’ and ‘etiquette’. ▪ Rules about the proper and polite way. ▪ The acceptable way of communicating on the Internet. ▪ Best practices to effectively communicate via email, social media posts, blogs, and forums is important. Encourage civil and well-mannered behavior online and prevent any misunderstanding from occurring. Helps create and sustain online relationships Refrain us from cyberbullying or being abusive online Facial expressions and body language are a huge part of face-to-face interaction. Most online communication takes at least part of this away. Because of this, messages can often be misinterpreted. By following netiquette, online communication becomes clearer. 1. Remember the Human- Golden Rule Even though you may be interacting with a computer screen, you are communicating with a real person who will react to your message. Make a good impression - treat others with the same respect that you would like to receive and avoid confrontational or offensive language “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” 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." Republic Act No. 10175 or “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012” 3. Know where you are in cyberspace One should employ discretion in online interactions by adjusting our responses or behavior according to the kind of people we happen to be interacting with. 4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth Nowadays people have less time than before so we should not waste it needlessly by sending them emails and posts that they may not be interested in. 5. Make yourself look good online We should pay attention to grammar and spelling. 6. Share expert knowledge When we post a question to a discussion group we may get many responses from experts. We could summarize the answers and post it to the discussion group so that it benefits everyone 7. Help keep flame wars under control "Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion. It's the kind of message that makes people respond, "Oh come on, tell us how you really feel.“ Flame wars refer to a series of angry letters between two or three people. As they can ruin the friendly atmosphere of a discussion group. 8. Respect other people's privacy Respect other people’s privacy by not reading their emails. 9. Don't abuse your power In cyberspace too some people have more power. They may be experts in an office or system administrators. Such people should not take advantage of their power 10. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes Everyone was a network newbie once. For Professional Messages, Avoid Emoticons To help convey meaning when creating messages, it is sometimes acceptable to include appropriate emoticon symbols, such as a smiley face :) However, for professional communications these would be inappropriate. Avoid Slang, Acronyms, and Text Talk Communicating effectively in college and business environments requires the use of correct terminology, spelling, and grammar that can easily be understood. Avoid “SCREAMING” in Typed Messages Typing an entire message using all capital letters is known as “screaming”. It is distracting and generally frowned upon in professional environments. It is better to draw emphasis to selected words or phrases by: using italic or bold text; using a different color for text or background color; or denoting emphasis using special characters Proofread Your Messages Before Sending Them Proofreading your messages before you send them is a best practice for effective and efficient communication. Strive to make your communications concise and free of any: ▪ Spelling and grammar errors ▪ Confusing terms or phrases that could be misunderstood ▪ Errors of omission, such as missing content or recipients ▪ Errors in accuracy of information Exercise Good Judgment When Sharing Information With Others Online Email and chat messages that you send or receive are considered private and should not be forwarded or copied to others without gaining the consent of all involved participants. Respect Diversity in Viewpoints Be constructive and respectful when sharing opinions, beliefs, and criticisms, or responding to those of others in the conversation. ✓ Ask yourself the following questions: 1.Who am I talking to? Consider the background of the person (or people) you are communicating with, their age, their ethnicity, their gender, what is your connection with them (are they your friend, a family member etc.), how familiar you are with them. 2.What is the topic of discussion? Make sure you understand the topic of the conversation so as to provide relevant information. Before posting, check if anyone else mentioned what you want to say. Keep it short and concise. No need to write long posts that veer off topic. 3.What is the setting? Is this a more formal setting or is it a friendly situation? If you are writing an email or a blog post, make sure you proofread and fix any mistakes. GIFs and reaction images may be acceptable in some situations, but not in others. These rules underscore the fact that cyberspace is not a lawless territory where one can do anything. It comes with its own code of behavior and netizens have a responsibility to uphold it. “You can be prosecuted for insulting, abusing or bullying people online.”
