Know the Rules of the CyberRoad...

Netiquette... 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. Never do anything online you wouldn't do in real life, or say anything to anyone you wouldn't say face-to-face.

Although many of you are seasoned veterans, a few of you are new to both online services and the Internet. I put together a list of smileys (shortcut terms which allow the reader to understand subtleties in your posts) as well as some basic rules of netiquette (proper conduct on the net and online services).

Netiquette

It's always good to know the rules before you set forth in a new country, and the Net is the newest country of all. Remember that people from many countries will be sharing ideas, and the rule of the game is RESPECT.

Don't worry about having to learn all this new stuff... we were all newbies once, and you'll soon be a seasoned veteran, laughing at all the inside Net jargon.

Never use all capital letters, it's considered shouting and is
hard on the eyes...

Think before you type! Whatever you say always comes back to haunt you.

Don't refer to anyone online by their real offline names unless they say it's okay.

Don't copy other people's material and pretend it's yours.

Don't do anything online you wouldn't do offline.

"Flaming" is inciting or provoking an argument and is bad netiquette.

"Spamming" is posting something in many places at the same time and wastes other's time. Spamming is a no-no.

Don't jump into the middle of a chat, learn the rules of the chatroom or discussion board first, and get to know the tone before you join the discussion. It will prevent lots of problems.

Don't correct anyone in public if you think they made a mistake, send them an instant message or e-mail instead.

Remember that just because you're hiding out in your room behind a big computer monitor, you aren't exempt from correct and thoughtful communication. And also remember that you aren't as anonymous as you think you are...

Now... smileys...

Since people cannot communicate sarcasm, teasing, humor or other emotions online (after all, typing is typing) netiquette has developed forced emotion indicators... They are called "smileys." I'll post some of the more popular smileys below. But new ones get added every day.

<g>...grin
<G>...big grin
@----->----- a rose
<):-> a clown
;-) or ;->...a wink
:-)...smiley face
:->...big smiley face
:-(...frown

Typing Shortcuts
There are acronyms too, shortcuts you can use to cut down on typing. You'll need to know the most commonly used ones in order to understand many chat discussions.

LOL...laughing out loud
FOFLOL...falling on the floor laughing
ROFLOL...rolling on the floor laughin out loud
BTW...by the way
BRB...be right back
OTOH...on the other hand
PMJI...pardon me for jumping in
IMHO...in my humble opinion

Armed with the basic rules of Netiquette, smileys and acronyms, even the newest websurfer can look like a veteran.

Now for a pop quiz! (Just kidding. :->)