Assignment: Conceptual Research & Reflection Project
7. Netiquette
“Good communication practice on the Internet is not something one 'learns', but something one 'practices' so as to teach others, less familiar than yourself, how it is done.” (Allen, N.D)
Definition:
“Netiquette is all about etiquette on the internet. Think of it as rules of good behaviour adopted for electronic communication via e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms and discussion forums,” (Sullivan, 2002).
Netiquette, I find, is a work in progress. It somewhat parallels etiquette in our tangible world, but with the obvious distinction of being related to the rules of communication on the internet with the online community. It encompasses mainly two-way communications like e-mail, newsgroups, forums, IRC and a lot of other chat communities. There is also the netiquette of static sites like webpages and websites to consider.
In my time on the net, I have come across a lot of different online communities. Most notably, I was an active participant on an Australian dirt bike forum (dirtbike world). There was no enforced netiquette except for common sense. And, to my knowledge, there is no FAQ on what is or is not acceptable. For the most part, the online chats went on without much of a hiccup, but there was always the odd new person (Newbie) or someone just there to start an argument (Flamer).
Suffice to say, from my experience, there are definite underlying dos and don’ts across the different communities online. For example, in this unit of study’s online discussion wall, it would probably not be appropriate to talk about our upcoming romantic date. Also not appropriate is using profanity or starting a public argument which is widely a no-no regardless of the forum. It’s also a written rule in the document published by Sally Hambridge “Don't get involved in flame wars. Neither post nor respond to incendiary material,” (Hambridge, 1995). The main netiquette standards document (which is a little dated) published by Sally Hambridge of the Intel Corporation is one of the only adopted general netiquette guidelines. Most are common sense but some are also peculiar to the online world only.
Problems with Netiquette
First, besides some loosely followed documents around the web, there is no concrete netiquette standard as a whole. Forget anyone being able to enforce an online etiquette across the web. Unlike the world we live in, online communities have an anonymity about them. “Anonymity allows people to hide behind their computers while saying whatever they want with little ramification,” (Grohol, 2006). Second, no one really knows who the other is, aside from their respective online personas. Some people take this as a ticket to be as rude or as judgmental as they like with no fear of consequence.
There was a case of an internet hoax written in the media (MSNBC, 2007) whereby a woman created a Myspace account for an imaginary boy and then befriended a girl with whom her daughter had a disagreement. She then cultivated a relationship with the girl under her fabricated male profile and went on to sever all ties with the girl. She later wrote malicious things about the young girl and because of this act, the girl committed suicide. This story just goes to show how the once detached online world is now very intertwined with our physical world. There is also now a need for consequence and action for our behaviours online.
This is not only limited to sites like Myspace but also all facets of online activity. Our e-mail is also a huge medium which the majority of us use. E-mail is probably one of the main areas where netiquette is most practiced. Or, at least it should be. My experience in the workforce has taught me not to forward on certain messages and to discern when something is acceptable to post to a mass audience.
Annotations.
SITE 1, Netiquette Guidelines, http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1855.txt
The author of this document is Sally Hambridge, a network engineer for the Intel Corporation. You can read her brief bio here.
This document being rather broad-based is probably one of the most used foundation resources for netiquette available on the net. And, as such, would have to be one of the most credible resources to follow.
Many sights link to this document for their netiquette guidelines.
This sight gives a great reference for e-mail use and also for online forums and discussions. It covers most forms of communications – on the web, one-to-one and one-to-many.
SITE 2, Business Netiquette International, http://www.bspage.com/1netiq/Netiq.html
This site: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21844203/ written by
The site has good links and also some really good examples of netiquette.
It draws on other referenced sources, and I find it summates online business communications thoroughly and is written for the lay person.
Many universities around the world have adopted his standards as their own or as a reference, giving the document credibility.
It also has a lot of listed contributors which shows a good revision history over the last ten years.
Bibliography Allen, M. (n.d). Internet Communications, Concepts Document Netiquette.
Retrieved July 23rd, 2008 from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home.
Associated Press. (2007). Mom: Girl killed herself over online hoax. Retrieved July 22nd, 2008, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21844203/
Grohol, John, M. (2006). Anonymity and Online Community.: Identity Matters. Retrieved July 22nd, 2008, from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/identitymatters
Hambridge, S. (1995). RFC 1855: Netiquette Guidelines. Retrieved July 22nd, 2008,
from http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1855.txt
Pearce, F. ( 2002). Business Netiquette International. Retrieved July 22nd, 2008, from http://www.bspage.com/1netiq/Netiq.html
Sullivan, Brian (2002, March). Netiquette. Computerworld, 36(10), 48. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 110226640) http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/pqdweb?did=110226640
Wikipedia (n.d). Newbie and Flamer definition pages. Retrieved July 22nd, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbie and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming_(Internet)
13. Communication is not complete upon receipt
“The key to effective email management is to consistently and conscientiously respond to and act upon the email you receive, while recognising that others may not be as efficient as yourself.” (Allen, n.d).
As experienced internet users, it is our responsibility to respond to correspondence within a timely manner. Hand-in-hand with response is the ability to determine what merits a reply in due time and what messages are able to be pondered upon.
This may sound simple in theory, but many still don’t have a grasp on the requirement of e-mail and its related etiquette.
There are also other factors involved with e-mail messages. Is the recipient apt enough to respond properly? Is the information clear and concise? Will the recipient be able to view the message?
“Be aware that when you send an email in rich text or HTML format, the sender might only be able to receive plain text emails,” (E-Mailreplies.com, n.d).
To make sure we take away the technical potential for problems, we should make our messages and replies as user friendly as possible.
As a general rule, most work e-mails that deem a reply need to be acted upon as soon as possible, consistently. If someone rang you on the telephone and asked you to let them know if you were coming to a party tomorrow, would you simply ring them back two days later?? Probably not, and the same rule applies to e-mail.
If we simply receive something with no reply, and it beckons a reply, we are closing down that line of communication. It might be perceived that the message was not read, or worse, not worthy of a response. This will certainly effect future communications.
“E-mail is instant communication. Your prospects want to know what you can offer them right now. While you may not respond to their inquiries the moment you receive them, you need to respond in a timely manner, within 24 hours,” (Casperson, 2001).
What Casperson has stated is imperative for good business practice. It also transpires into other facets of our e-mail accounts, be it work or personal. I find that the key is to relate it to a traditional communication medium and respond accordingly. Common sense is always a good rule of thumb.
When it comes to sending e-mail, we normally require a response, or at least desire one. What happens when they don’t reply promptly? We often assume that we are not important enough for a reply, we have been placed on the backburner, or they didn’t receive it. This will, in turn, blur the communication process. So, we need to take into account the person to whom we are sending it. He may be extremely busy and not have seen it, or might have seen it and planned on getting around to it at a later date. Either way, we have to try and put ourselves into that person’s shoes to understand where he is coming from. That way, we can choose how to effectively communicate with him in the future.
TIP-
“If you want the other person to do something, say so clearly. If you are simply passing information, say so, then the other person will know he need not reply. You can do this simply, by putting the letters "FYI" right at the start ,” (Skyrme, 1999).
An example of this from my career is a customer of mine – whenever I write to her, she will never reply in a timely manner unless she’s having a problem. She will, however, always respond when something’s gone askew. I am consistent as a rule in response to them. But, the one time I was on holiday and did not write back, she rang me within 24 hours. So, my past report with them was such that she had interpreted my lack of response as a sign of my being too busy for them. My responses in the past indeed were noticed and expected within a certain timeframe, unbeknown to me until that moment. Basically, people and standards with mail response differ – just be consistent.
Annotations.
SITE 1, The Psychology of Cyberspace, http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/emailrel.html
This site is written by John Suler, PHD, who is a psychologist.
To see his full bio click here.
Suler’s site contains a wealth of information for effective communication via e-mail. It delves deep into e-mail relationships and has excellent examples on e-mail etiquette.
His writings are used and referenced by many reputable organisations like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The article was published for psychotherapists and is a reference for online counselling.
Though mainly written about relationships, his writings transpire to all facets of effective communication thru e-mail.
SITE 2, E-Mail Etiquette, http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~davidt/email_etiquette.htm
David Tuffley, the author of this site is a lecturer at the
His academic credentials range from many acknowledged publications in the IT discipline at the university he teaches and also in the public sector.
The site gives another perspective breakdown on e-mail use. It also helps people understand better practice for e-mail use and deciphers some of the acronyms used in today’s e-mail.
Although not a long article, it does summate proper e-mailing techniques and effective communication in an easy to comprehend manner.
Bibliography Allen, M. (n.d). Internet Communications, Concepts Document Netiquette.
Retrieved July 25th, 2008, from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home.
EmailReplie.com (n.d). Email Etiquette. Retrieved 25th July, 2008, from http://www.emailreplies.com/
Casperson, Dana, M (2001, May). E-etiquette. Executive Excellence, 18(5), 12. Retrieved August 3, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 73186244). Retrieved 25th July, 2008, from http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/pqdweb?index=13&did=73186244
Skyrme, David, J (1999). Effective E-Mail Guide. Retrieved 25th July, 2008, from http://www.skyrme.com/tools/email.htm#what
Suler, John (2003). Psychology of Cyberspace. Retrieved 25th July, 2008, from http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/emailrel.html
Tuffley, David (2007). E-Mail Etiquette. Retrieved 25th July, 2008, from http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~davidt/email_etiquette.htm
26. Privacy and Security
“The Internet is a profoundly ‘open’ system and advanced Internet users are cautious about either accepting or sending material from and to unknown sources and are careful in releasing information about themselves in any form. Conceptually, the Internet challenges us to take greater responsibility for the protection of privacy and security than perhaps we are used to when dealing with the media,” (Allen, n.d).
Security is probably the number one concern of most users on the internet today! Is this site secure? Do I have a virus? Is it safe to give this company my details?
Working in the service industry for ten years, if I had a dollar for every time the above questions were asked of me, I would probably be a rich manJ.
In my opinion, I would have to say these questions are extremely valid. Being an experienced user, the common privacy and security issues are generally not a concern for me. But in reality, if someone really wants to get your information, there is no way of stopping them while you connected to the internet.
“However, there is no single cyber security practice or technological solution that will prevent online crime. These recommended cyber security practices highlight that using a set of practices that include Internet habits as well as technology solutions can make a difference,”(Staysafeonline.org, n.d).
As stated above, one can see that there is no magic bullet when it comes to internet crime. The only solution is to not go online! However, there are many steps that can reduce your vulnerability to the bulk majority of pitfalls and dangers on the internet. Here are their listed best practices.
- Protect your personal information. It's valuable.
- Know who you're dealing with online.
- Use anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spy ware software to help keep your computer safe and secure.
- Be sure to set up your operating system and Web browser software properly, and update them regularly.
- Use strong passwords or strong authentication technology to help protect your personal information.
- Back up important files.
- Learn what to do if something goes wrong.
- Protect your children online
(Staysafeonline.org, n.d)
Everyday we are potentially exposed to spam, viruses, Trojans, key loggers, ad ware, phishing, scams, spy ware, and the list goes on…. Sounds scary doesn’t it? But, in all actuality, we can safeguard ourselves from the bulk majority by using a little common sense. If something is too good to be true, then it probably is! Typically, no one from across the globe is going to give you $20,000,000 for simply helping them out…..except possibly someone from
Sounds ludicrous, but people have actually fallen for this scam!
I am making reference to the well-known Nigerian e-mail scam, where some official apparently needs your help in offloading a ridiculous amount of cash for simply giving your bank account details. I have often wondered what would happen if I replied to these criminals; I know it’s a scam but I was always interested in how it would go. Read this article by Will Sturgeon who actually does.
Never give your personal details to a stranger or unknown company online. That’s simply asking for trouble! Do some research. Here in the
A potentially overlooked privacy threat is online social sites like Myspace and Facebook. People often store a lot of personal information and details at these sites. And, once someone befriends somebody who is looking to scam him, i.e. that beautiful blonde girl from
Ultimately, education to potential vulnerabilities is the key to online safety. Because of the openness of the internet, it is a great resource and melting pot of cultures and information. Like a double-edged sword, this same openness creates potential for danger. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Simple steps are all that’s needed to survive online. Think of the internet as a parallel to the real world, the world of the information age.
Annotations.
SITE 1, Google Online Security Blog, http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/
This site is authored by a collective of Google staff. Its very current and probably a very good resource due to the nature of its business. There are a myriad of articles on current security concerns as well as new security software reports. If it’s happening on the Net, then it will probably be reported here.
The site has lots of links to various reputable sights for further reading. But, one has to keep in mind that there could be a bias due to obvious business interests. Overall, though, it has great coverage, and I personally read it regularly for the latest security and privacy issues.
SITE 2, US-Cert, United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, http://www.uscert.gov/
For my location in the
It is a very informative site for the technical and non-technical. It also has a lot of governmental links to laws regarding the net and current cyber crimes. I find it a great resource for anyone wanting to arm themselves with information on potential online threats. There is also a link to report crimes and fraudulent activities that one may have come across.
Bibliography Allen, M (n.d). Internet Communications, Concepts Document Netiquette.
Retrieved July 25th, 2008, from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home.
BBB (n.d). Better Business Bureau. Retrieved July 27th, 2008, from http://welcome.bbb.org/
Google (n.d).Google Online Security Blog, Retrieved July 27th, 2008, from http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/
National Cyber Security Alliance (n.d). Stay safe online, Top eight security practices. Retrieved July 27th, 2008, from http://staysafeonline.org/practices/index.html
Sturgeon, W (2003). The Spam report. Retrieved July 27th, 2008, from
http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/thespamreport/0,39025001,10002928,00.htm?r=4
United States DHS (n.d). US-Cert, United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Retrieved July 27th, 2008, from http://www.uscert.gov/
17. The impact of text-based, real-time chat
“Communicating in real-time with text enables a form of 'authoring of the self' that is similar to the processes of face-to-face speech but which is much more amenable to authorial control, experimentation and reflection. Further, text-based communication carries with it the possibility for multiple, differing conversations occurring simultaneously, relying on the ability of the human brain to deal with text much better than speech,” (Allen,n.d).
Since the inception of real-time chat, the face of what we used to consider communication has changed. Traditionally we communicated via conventional mediums such as face-to-face, paper messages, and the telephone to mention a few. But, oh how times have a changed with the creation of IRC, mIRC, SMS, Skype, MSN, etc.!
These new methods of real time text based chat applications and sites don’t do away with traditional forms of communication but are simply complimentary.
Chat can be a powerful tool for business. A new trend for companies is to a have real-time based chat for things like product support and product enquiries. Most of these places have 24-hour manning as well – offering a service that was not available before text based chat. It also has accountability because it’s easy to save online chats and go over details at a later date. “For some clients, such as people with a hearing disability, the advent of online chat has been a real breakthrough,” (Burrell, 2003).
A potential limiting factor is that not all people are comfortable typing due to lack of keyboard skills. But this is slowly becoming a worry of the past as most people’s exposure to the online world is expanding at a rapid pace.
Text based chat has also spawned a new sub-culture. Kids used to hang out at the corner shop eating ice cream and drinking soda, but now a decent proportion of teenagers are more likely to be seen hanging out at their computer screens chatting to their friends online.
In a Pew Study, researchers say that 87% of 12-18 year-olds use the internet and more than 55% of them have used chat or been on a chat site (Pew, 2006). That’s an incredible number. Chat has also spawned its own language; take a look here at this site for a primer.
The ability to overcome geographical and lifestyle hurdles make chat popular. People from all around the globe can communicate in an open dialogue, devoid of traditional limitations. Because of its anonymity as a medium, people find a level playing field to communicate. Regardless of social class, speech, appearance or any other potential stigma, people can create or entirely re-invent themselves online. Whether it is a true reflection is totally up to them. However, that’s where a problem stems. What is to stop a paedophile from pretending to be 12-year-old boy, luring kids into a false friendship with sinister motives? Nothing!
Chatting online can be advantageous on another level. Depending on competency, it is easy to engage in multiple conversations at the same time. One could be on Skype chatting to his family and at the same time, talking to a work colleague via MSN. The potential is incredible. Neither party would be aware of what is going on, therefore, no one would come across as rude or would give the appearance of submitting less than one’s full, complete attention.
In summation, I believe chat will be here for a very long time. While internet technologies like video chat and VOIP are becoming very popular, they will not make chat obsolete. Chat, with all its positives and potentials, is truly is a modern complimentary facilitator to our already expanding communication chain. As chat etiquette evolves and mobility continues to expand, this controversial medium will continue to become more mainstream and refined. I am all for making the world a smaller place, which I believe chat can help to do.
Annotations.
SITE 1, Caslon Analytics Messaging. http://www.caslon.com.au/messagingprofile.htm
This site, an Australian based site, is a very comprehensive place to find out about messaging and related issues, laws and technologies. The author of the site is Bruce Arnold who has a Masters Law Degree. He has worked in various Australian government agencies as well as in the private sector. His writings have been cited by numerous reputable organisations around the world giving him strong credibility.
I found a wealth of information on this site from definitions to analysis with studies to back up his facts. It contains a lot of useful links for notable sites and resources.
SITE 2, Chat. http://www.netalert.gov.au/advice/services/chat.html
This site is an awareness site written by the Australian government. It is designed to be a resource for parents and teachers. Information provided on this site is mainly concerned about online safety, but it also breaks down what the new technologies are, how they work, and lists the popular chat sites and softwares.
The tips provided on this site are a fantastic base to many users on the net, especially for chat related technologies. It also has links to government resources as well as phone numbers for any internet safety concerns.
Bibliography Allen, M (n.d). Internet Communications, Concepts Document Netiquette.
Retrieved July 25th, 2008, from http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_b/scripts/serve_home.
Arnold, B (n.d). Caslon Analytics Messaging. Retrieved July 25th, 2008, from http://www.caslon.com.au/messagingprofile.htm
Burrell, B (2003). Online Chat Proves Popular. Retrieved 29th July, 2008, from http://www2.careers.govt.nz/holistic_decision-making_6.html
Australian Government (n.d). Protecting Australian Families online, Chat. Retrieved July 29th, 2008, from http://www.netalert.gov.au/advice/services/chat.html
Madden, M (2006). Internet Impact, Page 4, Retrieved 29th July, 2008, from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Internet_Impact.pdf
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