Netiquette
There are guidelines on how one must behave in cyberspace. In the Internet
these responsibilities are defined by what is called Netiquette. For example,
it is considered rude to type your messages in all capital letters because
it is the electronic equivalent to shouting. Spamming is another
bad conduct, it means sending unwanted messages en masse to newsgroups
and e-mails. Spams are the Internet equivalent of junk mail like chain
letters and commercial messages. Flames are messages written in
anger. People are always cautioned from being provoked as the instantaneous
transmission of messages in e-mail, chat, and newsgroups may cause irreparable
damage to relationships and reputations.
There are different versions of Netiquette on the Web, and there are
even specific guidelines for e-mail and newsgroups. We will feature three
of the most popular ones, that is, the most referred to. Note that the
bottomline of many such guidelines boils down to respecting other people's
views, resources (including time), space, and privacy, among other things.
From the general to the specific these are the:
10 Commandments
of Computer Use
Computer Ethics Institute in Washington D.C.
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Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people
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Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work
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Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files
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Thou shalt not use a computer to steal
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Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness
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Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not
paid
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Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization
or proper compensation
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Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output
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Thou shalt think about consequences of the program you are writing or the
system you are designing
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Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and
respect for your fellow humans.
Core Rules
of Netiquette
by Virginia Shea, Netiquette Home Page (excerpts from book "Netiquette"
published in 1994)
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Rule 1: Remember the Human
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Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow
in real life
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Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
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Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth
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Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
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Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
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Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
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Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy
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Rule 9: Don't abuse your power
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Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
User
Guidelines & Netiquette: Electronic Communications
by Arlene Rinaldi & Florida Atlantic University (Copyright 1995,
1998)
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Under United States law, it is unlawful "to use any telephone facsimile
machine, computer, or other device to send an unsolicited advertisment"
to any "equipment which has the capacity (A) to transcibe text or images
(or both) from an electronic signal received over a regular telephone line
onto paper." The law allows individuals to sue the sender of such illegal
"junk mail" for $500 per copy. Most states will permit such actions to
be filed in Small Claims Court. This activity is termed "spamming" on the
Internet.
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Never give your userID or password to another person. System administrators
that need to access your account for maintenance or to correct problems
will have full priviledges to your account.
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Never assume your email messages are private nor that they can be read
by only yourself or the recipient. Never send something that you would
mind seeing on the evening news.
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Keep paragraphs and messages short and to the point.
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When quoting another person, edit out whatever isn't directly applicable
to your reply. Don't let your mailing or Usenet software automatically
quote the entire body of messages you are replying to when it's not necessary.
Take the time to edit any quotations down to the minimum necessary to provide
context for your reply. Nobody likes reading a long message in quotes for
the third or fourth time, only to be followed by a one line response: "Yeah,
me too."
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Focus on one subject per message and always include a pertinent subject
title for the message, that way the user can locate the message quickly.
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Don't use the academic networks for commercial or proprietary work.
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Include your signature at the bottom of Email messages when communicating
with people who may not know you personally or broadcasting to a dynamic
group of subscribers.
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Your signature footer should include your name, position, affiliation and
Internet and/or BITNET addresses and should not exceed more than 4 lines.
Optional information could include your address and phone number.
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Capitalize words only to highlight an important point or to distinguish
a title or heading. Capitalizing whole words that are not titles is generally
termed as SHOUTING!
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*Asterisks* surrounding a word can be used to make a stronger point.
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Use the underscore symbol before and after the title of a book, i.e. _The
Wizard of Oz_
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Limit line length to aproximately 65-70 characters and avoid control characters.
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Never send chain letters through the Internet. Sending them can cause the
loss of your Internet Access.
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Because of the International nature of the Internet and the fact that most
of the world uses the following format for listing dates, i.e. MM DD YY,
please be considerate and avoid misinterpretation of dates by listing dates
including the spelled out month: Example: 24 JUN 96 or JUN 24 96
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Follow chain of command procedures for corresponding with superiors. For
example, don't send a complaint via Email directly to the "top" just because
you can.
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Be professional and careful what you say about others. Email is easily
forwarded.
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Cite all quotes, references and sources and respect copyright and license
agreements.
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It is considered extremely rude to forward personal email to mailing lists
or Usenet without the original author's permission.
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Attaching return receipts to a message may be considered an invasion of
privacy.
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Be careful when using sarcasm and humor. Without face to face communications
your joke may be viewed as criticism. When being humorous, use emoticons
to express humor. (tilt your head to the left to see the emoticon smile)
:-) = happy face for humor.
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Acronyms can be used to abbreviate when possible, however messages that
are filled with acronyms can be confusing and annoying to the reader.
Examples: IMHO= in my humble/honest opinion
FYI = for your information
BTW = by the way
Flame = antagonistic criticism
Recommended reading:
rfc
1855 (Request for Comments): Netiquette Guidelines by Network Working Group,
October 1995
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