Netiquette

Netiquette is a code of good manners for electronic environments. In other words, it is the etiquette of the Internet.

1. Learn and follow the "Acceptable Use Policy" of your college, workplace or Internet service provider. This policy may include limits on the amount of information you can store on your account or limits on when you can use the Internet recreationally. Don't tie up computers in public labs with gameplaying when other people need to work and are waiting for a terminal.

2. Protect your privacy and that of others. Remember, your e-mail is not secure. It can be read by system administrators, and messages are easily forwarded by your readers. To help protect your privacy, choose a passward that is a combination of numbers and characters that do not spell a word or common phrase. Likewise, respect the privacy of others; do not forward a message unless you have a compelling reason to do so.

3. Don't play when someone else needs to work. Playing games is fine, as long as it's in moderation and does not interfere with the work of others. It is inappropriate to forward chain letters and humor to people with whom you work in a subordinate role. Share this kind of playful mail only with your friends.

4. Never leave the subject heading blank. For class e-mail, always begin the subject line with the course and section numbers as your teacher directs. Then identify the message content. For example: "ENG 101-07 Research Paper."

5. Use the reply function to maintain the continuity of discussion of a topic. Be careful about replying to messages received from a listserv. Make sure you intend to reply to everyone on the list. If you want to reply only to the sender, then make sure that only the sender's name and/or address appear in the "To:" line of your reply.

6. Stand by your words. You should always be accountabale for what you write. Think about what you have to say and say it as clearly as you can. never present the work of others as your own; this is plagiarism. Accurately cite your sources. Whenever you borrow from or refer to online sources, be sure to acknowledge them.

7. Be brief and to the point.

8. Be careful about punctuation and spelling--but also be tolerant of others' errors. E-mail is less formal than many other types of writing, and many people neglect to proofread their messges because of the conversational nature of the medium.

9. Avoid using all capital letters in e-mail messages because it is the electronic equivalent of shouting. Do not overuese punctuation--especially exclamation points.

10. End messages with your name and your e-mail address.