Student resources: Netiquette

"Netiquette" stands for "Internet Etiquette", and refers to the set of practices which help make the Internet experience pleasant for everyone. Like other forms of etiquette, netiquette is primarily concerned with matters of courtesy in communications. The following sections provide more information.

General Netiquette for Email, Discussion Boards and Chat Rooms:

Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation before sending your words over the network. Chatting and posting are more like speaking, but they are still academic when done for a course. Also, avoid using all lower case words. Clear writing is a form of common courtesy and good manners.

Sarcasm or jokes could be misunderstood. Use your common sense and avoid saying things that MIGHT be offensive to others.

Emoticons are sometimes acceptable, but if others do not know what they mean, they become useless. Better to use straightforward language. In a formal setting, text-message acronyms should not be used at all (i.e., LOL or AFAIK). And remember, ALL CAPS is often perceived as SHOUTING!

Think about email, chatting, and posting in the same way as making a verbal comment in a classroom. Any words you post can be made public! When in doubt, leave it out. Decorum is crucial in any online correspondence.

If you attach documents or photos, be sure they follow the standards of respectful classroom behavior.

Email Netiquette:

Always provide the purpose of the email in the subject line.

Use an appropriate salutation or greeting to begin an email.

Be brief. Separate ideas into clear, concise paragraphs with spaces in between; do not write one long paragraph containing diverse points and information.

Double check the “To” line in your replies to make sure that the email goes to the right party.

Discussion Board Netiquette:

When using the discussion board for academic purposes:

Pay attention to the discussion question posed by the instructor and answer the question in your posting.

Label your posting appropriately to fit your message; an automatic reply keeps the instructor and class from looking down the list to find your message quickly. For example, if you’re posting your speech topic for approval, could you find your group members’ postings out of a list of 30 subject lines that say “Re: Speech Topic”?

If other students reply to your posting, respond to their questions or comments. As you would in a face-to-face conversation, acknowledge the person speaking to you.

If you don’t have anything substantial or constructive to say for your reply, please do not reply. Responses like “that’s nice” do not keep the discussion going.

For long responses, attach a document and type a message in the discussion box indicating what is in the attachment.

Avoid attacking a classmate for a point of view you disagree with. Debate should be civil. Resorting to personal attacks is a form of intellectual irresponsibility.

If you are offended by some words typed by another student, please explain how you feel to that student, but do not try to b