Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Rules of Netiquette


Internet Etiquette

Internet etiquette is the proper way users conduct themselves in an online environment. Good behavior online is proper etiquette. The rules of internet etiquette are implied by social norms, customs, and culture.

The first rule of internet etiquette is to follow the Golden Rule of Netiquette. The Golden Rule of Netiquette is to do unto others on the internet as you would have done to you. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
This Golden rule is the spiritual, moral, and ethical foundation of the philosophy. It is the universal rule of netiquette designed to promote goodwill. Practically applied, the Golden Rule is to be nice.
The golden rule is not literal because it's the foundation of a philosophy. There are things on the internet that you cannot do to others, even if you don't mind them being done to you.
The internet is personal communication. It's one to one and one to many communication on various networks with varying permissions, access rights, security levels, and moderation. The Golden Rule allows users to be themselves in the application of the rules of netiquette. A user can alter, disregard, or apply any rule of netiquette to varying degrees as they see fit by following the Golden Rule first. Do the right thing.
For example, you cannot rationalize spying on someone through a webcam by thinking you would not mind if it was done to you. Further, it is not alright to flame others because you don't mind being flamed yourself.
Simply put, the netiquette philosophy is to be nice (Golden Rule), communicate effectively with electronic devices (Core Rules), and follow the rules (Dictionary Definition). Following the rules of netiquette does not necessarily require following the rules contained in this site because everything is situational. The definition is the rule.

Internet Etiquette Rule number two is to follow the core rules. Netiquette rules start with the core rules of netiquette. The top ten rules are the core. They are the most common internet communication conventions.
Rule Number One: Spell check and proofread all written internet communication because errors diminish the credibility of the message.
Rule Number Two: Do not use all caps on the internet because it is shouting. All caps is considered shouting on the internet. Shouting is not polite. Therefore, it is bad netiquette to use all caps on the internet because shouting is not polite.
Rule Number Three: Honesty is good netiquette because network communications are not valid without it. Be honest in your profiles and other communication because honesty creates the best online experience.
Rule Number Four: Be yourself online because you are not anonymous online and others users are real people too. Do not say or do things online that you would not do in reality because you cannot be taken seriously if you do. Your online image is important. Don't ruin it by being someone you're not.
Rule Number Five: Do not flame or respond to flames because they are uncivilized. A flame is a personal insult communicated through the internet. Netiquette rules civilize the internet, cybersphere, because it is the social code of the internet.
Rule Number Six: Do not spam or follow pop-up and spam links because they can lead to viruses, spyware, and malware.
Rule Number Seven: Be conservative in email you send and liberal in email you receive because quality is better than quantity.
Rule Number Eight: Do not send email late at night because it may call your life style into question.
Rule Number Nine: Shop secure websites because they protect your information when you check out.
Rule Number Ten: Use discretion in everything you do on the internet. This includes creating social networking profiles and posting comments.

Be nice to others online is the sentiment of the Golden Rule of Netiquette. Being nice is something for all users to do.
Being nice to users is an essential part of internet etiquette because it contributes to a better cyber sphere. Users are happier when people are nice to them.



The Rules of Netiquette are social norms that individuals choose to follow to facilitate effective communication on the internet. There are many accepted internet etiquette rules users follow for many different reasons. The core rules of netiquette are the most agreed upon netiquette rules. The golden Rule of Netiquette is the foundation of Cyber Etiquette theory.

It is proper internet etiquette to spell check and proofread all written communication because errors diminish the credibility of the message.
On the internet, grammar and spelling errors are common for many reasons. As internet use increases, so will the number of spelling mistakes and grammar errors. The more you write the more mistakes you make. Making mistakes is natural.

Good internet etiquette prohibits using all capital letters in communication. 'All caps' is considered shouting on the internet. Shouting is not polite. Therefore, it is bad netiquette to use all caps on the internet because shouting is not polite.
I was taught to stay away from people who are loud. It often times means they are bad people. Everyone avoids loud people. Using all caps is being loud on the internet. Users who use all caps are avoided. This is a universal rule of netiquette.

Honesty is proper internet etiquette because network communications is not valid without it. Be honest in your profiles and other communication because honesty creates the best online experience.
'The truth will set you free' is a common saying that applies to the internet. Online lies prevent users from full engagement. Lies have to be kept up, they are recorded, and no one likes a liar. Telling the truth allows users to communicate freely. Lying is an encumbering experience.
It is proper internet etiquette to be yourself online because you are not anonymous online and others users are real people too. Do not say or do things online that you would not do in reality because you cannot be taken seriously if you do. Your online image is important. Don't ruin it by being someone you're not.
Let your online image show how good you are. Everyone is good at something. Use the internet to showcase what your good at. Highlight the positive side of who you are in reality.

Do not flame or respond to flames because they are uncivilized. A flame is a personal insult communicated through the internet. Netiquette rules civilize the internet, cybersphere, because it is the social code of the internet.
A troll is a catch all term for trouble maker. There are many ways to make trouble. Posting flames is one way.
A flame is a specific type of action by troll. It's personal. An off topic comment is not necessarily a flame. A comment where you use someone's name in a deragatory way is a flame.

It is proper internet etiquette to refrain sending or responding to unsolicitated, spam, messages. Do not spam or follow pop-up and spam links because they can lead to viruses, spyware, and malware.
Digital deception is not cool. Spam is a scam because it's illegal. Advertising a person gets in the mail is different than the email messages sent to an inbox because many people do not check their personal email messages regularly. Mailboxes are often checked because people live in their homes. Users don't live in their inboxes.

Be conservative in email you send and liberal in email you receive because quality is better than quantity.
There is an old saying that it is better to give than receive. Email is just the opposite. It is better to receive than to give.

Do not send email late at night because it may call your life style into question.
I know that sending email late at night calls a life style into question because I have done it. It usually happens when someone you hold in high regard or seems completely professional sends an email at a questionable hour. The recipient knows what time an email was sent because it is date and time stamped in the email and on the recipient's server.
Email messages include a time stamp. Time stamps allow the recipient of a message to see what time it was sent. Messages are time stamped by the outgoing and incoming server for identification.

Shop secure websites because they protect your information when you check out.
No one wants their credit card information stolen. People do not ask for their identity to be taken from them. Shopping on unsecure websites may not be asking for it, but it's an invitation to less experienced hackers to try.
Data encryption prevents hackers from stealing your data when you make an online purchases because it encodes it. Security certificates provide the best security for transaction processing and are required by most credit card processors. Transport layer Security (TLS) and Secure Socket Layers (SSL) are internet protocols for protecting your data, cryptography.

Use discretion in everything you do on the internet. This includes creating social networking profiles and posting comments.
Social Networks have given advertisers access to private user profile data and do not know whose profiles were accessed or why. It has been programming errors. This stuff happens.
Online registration is required for many websites. There is required information and optional information. Required information is usually denoted by an asterisk. Optional information is not required. Discretion is the user decision about how much optional information to provide. It's up to the users discretion or better judgement.

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