Gratuitous Advice #04  (Every care, but no responsibility taken for its use.)

• Rationale for this page
• Where to find advice on Netiquette
• A few Netiquette tips

Many of my friends who came late to computing and the internet did not have the ‘advantage’ of learning internet etiquette (“Netiquette”) the hard way during the 1980s and early 90s. This page was prepared primarily for them, but if it is useful to others that is a bonus.

The internet is a public place. We usually contribute to it from a very private place like our office or study. Always keep in mind the very public nature of the medium and moderate your language accordingly.

Netiquette principles have been clearly established for a long time and many of them are listed in a variety of places on the World Wide Web. The following is a terse guide to finding that information.

• The reader should do their own research using a search engine like Google.
• Here are a few site to get you started.

  General issues of Netiquette

  These pages give a useful introduction to Netiquette.
  • Life on the Internet
  • Netiquette questions
  • The Netiquette Home Page
  • On Netiquette
  • The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette
  • http://users.durge.org/~ngb/old/scribblings/silver.shtml
  • http://users.durge.org/~jawp/CamUK/noframes/mailinglists.html

    Acronyms

    One comes across many Acronyms in e-mail which are used to reduce the size of the message. This was more important when modem speeds were very slow, but are still common. Some people try to be too cute! TTFN

  • http://membres.lycos.fr/mathevet/acronew.zip (A manual for those using Guttorm Vik’s StrongHelp on a RISC OS computer)
  • http://www.durge.org/~ngb/old/eddings/newbie/21.html
  • or from http://www.durge.org/~ngb/old/eddings/

E-mail including Newsgroup postings

• Never send messages with lines in excess of 80 characters long (set line length in the e­mail client. 72 or 60 characters are common choices.)
• Never add signatures more than four lines in length.
• Do not send messages containing tabs or control characters.
• Always complete the Subject line.
• Do not send messages in UPPER CASE because it looks as if you’re shouting.
• Do not send unsolicited advertisements or bulk email (known as spam).
• Never send chain letters. They are annoying to most people and tie up online resources.
• Do not send abusive or heated messages (known as flames). If you receive a flame, it is best to ignore it or notify your ISP if you think it a breach of the ISP’s terms of service.
• Always remember that the Internet is a global community, and other people’s views may be different to yours. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.
• Allow time for people to receive your email and reply, keeping in mind international time differences and other people’s busy schedules.
• If your Internet access is through a corporate account, check with your employer about the policy regarding private email.

  Newsgroup postings or mailing lists (additional)

• It is always a good idea to read what others in the list or group are saying before participating. This will help you to get a feel for the nature of the list/group and what is or is not acceptable.
• If available, read FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) before posting a question to the group as your question may have already been answered.
• If you find a news group or topic offensive, avoid it.
• Keep private messages private, don’t post them to newsgroups or send them to mailing lists. Don’t make everyone read something intended for only one person – that’s what email is for.
• Never cross post messages posted to more than three newsgroups. (Have a very good reason for posting to more than one!)
• Do not post attachments to newsgroups where binaries are not allowed. (This is most of them.)

  Chatrooms

• Listen to a discussion in the chatroom before participating so you can get a feel of what is and is not acceptable.
• Respect the culture of the group. Remember the world is a big place full of different people. If you find a discussion that offends you, leave it. You’re bound to find a more suitable forum somewhere else.