Internet Etiquette

Joanne used to be hooked on the net. There was no dearth of things for her to do on the internet. Chatting, blogging, emails, listening to radio, playing games, downloading and loads of other things. But there was one thing woefully lacking in her internet interactions - proper internet decorum and etiquette.

Has it been the case with someone you know? Now with the internet covering a major part of our lives, I guess this is not very uncommon. Internet has become such an expansive communication medium, that nothing remains private on it. So, it is important to follow some amount of internet etiquette during internet access.

Proper Internet Etiquette

Never been Replied
Well, for starters, be courteous and reply to mails from real senders. It could be anything, 'a how's you' mail from a friend or an invite from an acquaintance. Never ignore these mails, always respond to such mails. Also, be respectful in your mails.

Lingo's the Word
Mind your language - It is very important to avoid usage of improper, or bad language. If you are a part of a forum or a conference chat, you might be told to go off line immediately if you are using foul or abusive language. If you are on a forum where there could be people who may not understand your language, preferably use a language which would not be limited to your group.

Banned Capitals
In any forum or while chatting with anyone, you should not shout. In internet jargon, shouting refers to writing in capital letters. Avoiding using capitals, as it can be considered as rude, is one of the basic internet etiquette tips.

Guarding Your Own
Anything which goes on the internet does not remain personal. Keeping your very personal information to you is preferable. Posting personal, very private information in wrong places can prove disastrous. Being extremely careful while posting your personal information will avoid further problems and complications.

Send Forward, Put Nothing Behind
Cleaning up or deleting the email forwarding list before you forward a mail is a main part of the internet etiquette information. Believe it or not it is a delicious main course on a platter for spammers to see so many emails at one go. In addition to that, to those whom you send the forward, are not interested in seeing the umpteen email id's. This is one internet etiquette which many amongst us know, but do not always do it.

KISS
No no! I don't think there is any facility for virtual kissing! What I mean to say is Keep It Simple and Straight (KISS)! Be brief and to the point in your mails or even chats. Do I need say more? LOL (lots of laughter)! ASAP (as soon as possible) are BTW (by the way) very commonly used acronyms, which help in keeping the conversation short, simple and brisk. It saves time too.

Subject Prediction?
Well, when sending an email, always mention in the subject column as to what is the mail all about. Please do not keep people in suspense and make them guess as to what the mail could be for. If you mention the subject, you would probably get a faster response. Internet etiquette rules cannot be complete without this point, right?

Chose the Selected
Do not use the send to all option unless the mail is something which can be shared with everyone. It is advisable to avoid using the send to all button if it is a private message or can be received by a few recipients. This is one amongst the internet etiquette, which if not remembered, can put you in a very embarrassing situation!

Internet etiquette is all about being respectful and courteous and using proper language. All the other things then fall in place. At the end of the day, never shy away from helping the new kids on the block, oops I mean the internet! They do not know the ways and means of the netizens! So teach them and help them out!

This is where I sign off and say a courteous 'bye bye, I am logging off!'