The etiquette rules are important in the technology world as they are in the real world. Internet etiquette, also known as netiquette, refers to a code of good behavior on the internet ( Chiles, 2013) . It applies to all internet aspects such as social media, email, web forums and other online communication forms. The netiquette comprises of both the dos and don’ts that people on the internet should follow to make the internet a better place. Here are some of the rules for interacting online as it pertains to communication between participants in the class.
Respect other people’s privacy
Check messages and respond to them promptly
Don’t express offensive opinions
Don’t post private images and comments to public forums
Don’t be mean to others
Verify facts before posting
Stay on the topic when discussing
Be polite when soliciting help from others
Keep disagreements healthy
Respect People’s Privacy
When you interact with someone else on the internet, you will most likely get access to their private lives that they may consider confidential. As an etiquette rule on the internet, ensure you do not beach the privacy of other people by sharing any content that is private to them. Respecting people’s privacy entails avoiding to upload photos and videos of other people without their consent ( Baker, 2011) . You might be tempted to share personal issues onto a public platform but this goes against the rules of proper internet engagement. Also, it is important to stop forwarding messages from private conversations to the public forum as it can breach other people’s privacy.
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Verify Facts Before Posting
One rule of engaging on the internet is to avoid leaving inaccurate information that can misguide and inform others. If you want to share information with the classroom forum, make sure you have verified its credibility and can reference it from a credible source. Some people may have a habit of sharing unverifiable information that can cause an upset and add noise to people’s time ( Mintu-Wimsatt, Kernek & Lozada, 2010) . However, if you are not sure of the facts, it is important to inquire from a credible person before posting the information.
Check And Respond To Messages Promptly
It is only polite that you reply to all email messages the moment you have access to them. Ignoring a question or message can be considered rude and might affect progression from one issue to another ( Mintu-Wimsatt, Kernek & Lozada, 2010) . If, for example, you are asked to provide a brief about something, make sure you do that promptly to enable other activities to commence.
Be Polite When Soliciting Help From Others
As a rule of online interaction, it is important to say please and thank you when asking for help from other people. In most cases, people will respond to your questions, but it will be more helpful to ask politely. This is because no one is entitled to answer you or must reply to your help. Therefore, as a rule of engagement and etiquette, people should adopt a habit of politely requesting and thanking others after help.
Don’t Be Mean To Others
One rule of engagement on social media is to avoid bullying others and being mean to them. Do not badmouth or call others stupid behind the keyboard as this can ruin the perfect interactions. The internet provides a sense of anonymity, which can be a leeway for someone to be mean and bully others ( Baker, 2011) . People who may be shy in real-life use such an anonymous feature to act mean towards others. However, the anonymity nature of this internet should not be an excuse to have poor manners. Instead, if you cannot do it in real life, do not do it online. For example, some online bullying and banter may be considered funny by some people, but in the end, it can ruin a perfect platform to discuss important things. Mean people make the online environment toxic and difficult to engage.
Keep Disagreements Healthy
Another rule of engagement on the internet is to always ensure you keep disagreements healthy by avoiding to go overboard. In most cases, disagreements can get unhealthy when uncontrolled, often affecting the quality of interactions. When involved in debates on the internet that can lead to disagreements such as issues of politics or religion, high chances of it becoming unhealthy are high. Most importantly you need to respect the opinion of others when discussing in an online forum even when there are disagreements. Agree to agree on some things to maintain a healthy engagement and make sure the disagreements do not escalate to fights.
Stay On Topic When Discussing
It is important and more respectful during online interactions to stay on topic without bringing in other unnecessary things. You are expected to share expert knowledge when on an online platform and stick on the topic until the end. Sometimes it can be easy to get distracted when discussing important things on the internet that someone sways off-topic with other discussions ( Slivová, 2014) . This can interfere with the whole focus of the discussion or the entire group making it undesirable.
Don’t Express Offensive Opinions
When engaging other people on the internet, it is important to remember that real people take priority. Most people might affect the quality of online interactions by using offensive opinions on other people. This can be displayed by someone who may have some authority or access to information and power. However, the quality of online engagement and interactions relies on having respect between each other and respecting each other’s opinions ( Slivová, 2014) . Therefore, everyone should detest from expressing offensive opinions that can hurt others and probably affect online interactions
Summary
This set of rules describes the good netiquette for online interactions. They apply to students on an online platform by guiding them on the most appropriate to engage with each other. The goal of setting up these rules is to have a safe and healthy online platform for discussions and knowledge sharing ( Chiles, 2013) . It is important to have this guideline since people can lose their senses on the internet and engage in acts that may affect efficient interactions.
References
Baker, D. L. (2011). Designing and orchestrating online discussions. MERLOT Journal of online Learning and Teaching , 7 (3), 401-411.
Chiles, D. (2013). The Principles of Netiquette (Vol. 1). David Paul Chiles.
Mintu-Wimsatt, A., Kernek, C., & Lozada, H. R. (2010). Netiquette: Make it part of your syllabus. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching , 6 (1), 264-267.
Slivová, J. (2014). Netiquette in electronic communication. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP) , 4 (3), 67-70.
