Peoples Republic of South Devon

‘Netiquette’ and the rules of the Internet

August 22nd, 2008

The weekly technology column from those good people at Plymouth’s
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It is undeniable that the Internet has the power to bring out a whole new side to a person, whether it’s good or bad. Sometimes the individual who is quiet, polite, and shy when communicating in person can turn into a raving maniac via email or in chat rooms, spouting their beliefs and feelings with no care as to how they will be interpreted.

Most of us who have posted anything on web forums or taken part in on-line conversations are very likely to have experienced some of this loss of inhibition at some point – whether it be arguing a point a little past the line of common courtesy, using language that you wouldn’t in real life, or alternatively being abused, harassed, or generally insulted by someone who you’re pretty sure wouldn’t be so bold in ‘real life’….

And it is because of this behavioural discrepancy that the rules of ‘Netiquette’ have been developed. The rules themselves may seem obvious and easy to follow, but it’s surprising how many people are intent on doing exactly the opposite. Let’s take a look at a few of the basic ones:

Rule 1 - We are all human. Don’t say anything to someone on the net that you wouldn’t to their face, try to be constructive and positive, and don’t be purposely argumentative.

Rule 2 – Follow the same rules on-line that you would in real life. Breaking the law is not good Netiquette. Be open to the views of others, and remember that it’s the ‘world wide’ web, not just yours.

Rule 3 – Remember where you are when you’re on-line. Look before you leap – if you’re entering a chat room make sure you have something constructive to add before you jump in with rash comments.

Rule 4 – Have respect for others. Remember that everyone is on the net for a reason and it may not be the same as yours. Don’t waste anyone’s time and don’t act inappropriately.

They’re plain and simple, but imagine how much more enjoyable all our experiences would be if everyone stuck to these rules.

Aside from politeness and respect alone, think for a second about the potential danger you put yourself in by uploading inappropriate material. It is easy to forget that the Internet is not as fleeting as it sometimes appears. To say it ‘never forgets’ may be a step too far, but it does have an impressive capability to store the information that we send out, occasionally resurfacing it at the most inopportune moments.

So, here are three (obvious?) tips to follow if you want to preserve your reputation. First of all, think twice about posting photos of yourself onto social networking sites. The pictures of you at the end of the last office staff party might be hilarious at the moment, but what happens when a future potential employer does a little bit of ‘background research’ before offering you that interview you’re so desperately after? Is he going to offer it to the guy who apparently wears his underwear on his head in the evenings…? Probably not.

Secondly, never ever write anything anywhere on the Internet that you wouldn’t want your parents to read. You might notice a continuous lack of anything distasteful or obscene in my articles – it’s not simply because I choose to follow the rules of Netiquette, I also don’t want to face the wrath of my mother next time I see her….

And finally, and on a more serious note, be careful where you click. Sadly there are plenty of people out there on the net who pray on the uninformed and over-trusting. We’ve all heard the horror stories about on-line credit card fraud, computer viruses in emails, and Internet marketing scams, and unfortunately they are all out there to some degree.

But if you stay vigilant and sensible you can easily avoid these pitfalls. Just remember that the Internet isn’t that dissimilar to the ‘real world’. For instance, you wouldn’t give your credit card details to someone hawking ‘miracle cream’ at the roadside would you? Keep an eye out for secure features, especially when making payments on-line - if a payment screen doesn’t have ‘https’ at the beginning of it’s address, immediately question it’s security (the ’s’ is the important part).

At the very least, keep track of your on-line presence and try to stay up to date with where and with whom your details are stored. But don’t stress over it too much, the Internet isn’t the equivalent of shark infested waters. It’s more like a big swimming pool – just make sure you don’t go out of your depth…

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Entry Filed under: technology