The following is a set of general guidelines for cyberspace behavior in the information society.
- Remember the human.
Do not forget that your correspondent is a person with feelings more or less like your own. When you communicate electronically, all you see is a computer screen but there is a human being on the other side of the computer.
- Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
In real life, most people are fairly law-abiding, either by disposition or because we are afraid of getting caught. Some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal behavior is acceptable in cyberspace. The confusion may be understandable but these people are mistaken.
- Know where you are in cyberspace.
Netiquette is different in different places. When you enter a domain of cyberspace that is new to you, take a look around. Spend a while listening to the chat or reading the archives. Get a sense of how the people who are already there act. Then go ahead and participate.
- Respect other people’s time and bandwidth.
When you send email or post to a discussion group, you are taking up other people's time. It is your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting is not wasted.
- Make yourself look good online.
Since no one can see you, you will not be judged by your appearance or behavior. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing. Pay attention to the content of your writing and be sure you know what you are talking about.
- Share expert knowledge.
Do not be afraid to share what you know. It is especially polite to share the results of your questions with others. Sharing your knowledge is fun. It is a long-time Net tradition and makes the world a better place.
- Help keep flame wars under control.
While flame wars can initially be amusing, they very quickly become boring to those who are not involved in them. The perpetuation of flame wars can dominate the tone and destroy the camaraderie of a discussion group.
- Respect other people’s privacy.
Failing to respect other people’s privacy is not just bad netiquette. It will also cost you your job. You should not read their email. Do not copy or distribute it either.
- Do not abuse your power.
Some people in cyberspace have more power than others. There are wizards in multi-user dungeons, experts in every office and system administrators in every system. Knowing more than others or having more power than they do does not give you the right to take advantage of them.
- Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.
Everyone was a network newbie once. When someone makes a mistake, be kind about it. If it is a minor error, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. If you decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they just do not know any better.
-Excerpted from the book Netiquette written by Virginia Shea in 1994
(Source: www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html) |
