Netiquette 101: Being Civilized on the Computer

Computer Literacy 1

Privacy and Safety

 

   Nothing is ever really private on the Internet. Don't include your home address and phone number in your signature file. Don’t unwittingly give out so much information about yourself that a stranger can put your day together. Remember that instant messages, away messages, and profiles can be copied and pasted. And don't give out personal information about someone else.

   Take care in what you reveal about yourself in blogs (Xanga, LiveJournal, Blogger, etc.) and social networking sites (like MySpace or Facebook) – even in the comments sections. It’s very likely that your words will come back to haunt you! Not only that, but your words and links often make it easy for others to track you.

   Log off when you leave your computer.

   Never share your password with anyone. Likewise, do not use anyone else’s password. Change your password if you even think it has been compromised. Words or backwards words are not secure passwords. Mix cases, numbers, letters, and symbols.

   Never put in an e-mail message or an instant message anything you would not put on a postcard. Anything you say online may be taken down and used against you. At the same time, treat other people’s communications with respect. Don’t forward e-mail or copy instant messages without knowing it’s truly ok to do so.

   Don’t respond to spam, even to request removal from a list. It only verifies that the sender has reached a legitimate e-mail address.

   Minimize the proliferation of spam by not sending messages to long lists of e-mail addresses that can be “harvested” by spammers or disguise the addresses. One way to do that is to use “Bcc” for most of the addresses instead of “To.” Don’t publish your e-mail address on your web page.

   Virtual appearances are always deceiving. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you know someone after having "met" him or her online. You know only what he or she chooses to say and only what others say about him or her.

   Don’t respond to threatening or inappropriate messages. Report persistent abusers to your parents or system administrator.

   Communication and Getting Along

   Be expressive in your communication, but not obnoxious. Use smileys (emoticons) like :-) to indicate tone of voice, but use them sparingly. Don't assume that using emoticons will make the recipient happy with what you say or wipe out an otherwise insulting comment. Same goes for use of exclamation points, all caps, avatars, pulsating backgrounds, and other flourishes. An abundance of such special effects doesn’t mean your message will be better understood (and, in fact, may produce the opposite effect).

   E-mail should have a subject heading which reflects the content of the message.

   Include a signature, but keep it short (no longer than 4 lines).

   When forwarding a message that has been forwarded to you, remove the layers of addresses that take up disk space and frustrate the reader.

   Be careful when you reply to messages or postings sent to large groups. Sometimes replies are sent back to the entire group!

   A good rule of thumb: Be careful about what you send and forgiving in what you receive. You should not send heated messages ("flames") even if you are provoked. On the other hand, you shouldn't be surprised if you get flamed, and it's usually best to ignore flames. If you get something by e-mail that makes you angry, it can be a good idea to wait a day before replying. This gives both you and the sender time to cool off and put the issue in perspective.

   Don't send large amounts of unsolicited information to people.

   It’s rude to multitask people. Don’t be instant messaging when your parents are trying to talk to you or a friend is on the phone.

   Don't annoy system administrators. They usually have your best interests at heart.

   Understand and practice copyright compliance.

   Having a copy of something doesn't mean that you have the right to copy or distribute it.

   Do not post or share significant sections of copyrighted material. Paraphrase words; post less than 30 seconds of a musical selection; do not post others' images unless you have explicit permission to do so.

   Having a Life

   Take a break from being online every hour. Read a book, eat a snack, go outside, do your homework. Get together with your friends in person instead of instant messaging each other.

   Be a careful custodian of disk space and bandwidth. If downloading a file is going to give you enough time to weave a small rug, forget it.

   Concentrate on tool use rather than the tools themselves. Don't get sucked into instant messaging or game playing or web surfing when you should be working on your English paper or having dinner with your family. Keep your priorities straight.

   Online technologies are often not the best way to communicate sensitive or personal information. Face-to-face communications, handwritten notes or letters, and the phone (call and/or voice mail) are as good and often better for certain information.