Chapter 14
Ms. Parry's Guide to Netiquette
In order to understand netiquette, you need to understand the Net. The Net was populated by techies who believed in free expression, the golden rule and generosity (at least that's how they tell it . . . ). Commercialism was always frowned upon (and actually violated NSFNet's acceptable use policy) and still is . . . although commercialism is rapidly taking over the Net. It's always good to know the rules before you set forth in a new culture, and the Net is the newest culture of all.
Remember that people from many countries will be sharing ideas, and what is normal and correct for them may be strange to you. The rule of the game is RESPECT.
There's a lot to learn, but don't worry about having to learn all this new stuff at once. We were all newbies once, and you'll soon be a seasoned veteran, laughing at all the inside Net jokes.
Ms. Parry's Rules for Correct Internet Behavior.
People do outrageous things when they get behind a keyboard . . . things they would ordinarily never do in real space. Somehow, whether it's the fact that they think they're anonymous, or that the Net brings out personality disorders (<g>— you'll understand this if you read on), I don't know. But please don't fall into the trap of saying and doing things online that you know shouldn't be said or done.
Remember that you can be traced, and nothing is ever truly anonymous online. Everything you say should be said with the understanding that they will know, sooner or later, that you said it.
Some of you may be seasoned veterans, but many of you are new to both online services and the Internet. To help, I put together a list of emoticons (sometimes called "smileys") which are shortcut terms that allow the reader to understand subtleties in your posts, as well as some basic rules of netiquette.
Netiquette List
Using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS—it's considered shouting and is hard on the eyes.
"Flaming"—inciting or provoking an argument.
"Spamming"—posting something in many places at the same time. It's also the name for junk e-mail sent to millions of people.
These are all no-no's. Remember that just because you're hiding out behind a big computer monitor, you aren't exempt from correct and thoughtful communications.
Emoticons . . . laughter in cyberspace. Since people cannot communicate sarcasm, teasing, humor or other emotions online (after all, typing is typing) netiquette has developed emotion indicators . . . they are called "smileys." I've posted some of the more popular ones below, but new ones get added every day. Your kids may want to try to invent a few, too.
<g> grin
<G> big grin
:-) smiley face
:-> very smiley face
;-) or ;-> a wink
:-( frown
:-P sticking out your tongue
@----->--- a cyber rose
If you don't understand why these emoticons mean what I say they do . . . turn the book sideways. (If you still don't get it . . . turn it the other sideways.)
LOL laughing out loud
FOFL falling on the floor laughing
BTW by the way
OTOH on the other hand
PMJI pardon me for jumping in
IMHO in my humble opinion
ROFLOL Rolling on the floor, laughing out loud
Acronyms are also used frequently to cut down on the typing. These are a few of the most common.
Now for a pop quiz! (Just kidding. :->)