Netiquette (short for "network etiquette" or "Internet etiquette") is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks,

ranging from Usenet and mailing lists to blogs and forums. These rules were described in IETF RFC 1855.[1] However, like many Internet phenomena, the concept and its application remain in a state of flux, and vary from community to community. The points most strongly emphasized about USENET netiquette often include using simple electronic signatures, and avoiding multiposting, cross-posting, off-topic posting, hijacking a discussion thread, and other techniques used to minimize the effort required to read a post or a thread. Netiquette guidelines posted by IBM for employees utilizing Second Life in an official capacity, however, focus on basic professionalism, amiable work environment, and protecting [2] IBM's intellectual property. Similarly, some Usenet guidelines call for use of unabbreviated English[3][4] while users of instant messagingprotocols like SMS occasionally encourage just the opposite, bolstering use of SMS language. However, many other online communities frown upon this practice.

History

Netiquette's (from "network" "etiquette") origins pre-date the start of the World Wide Web. Text-based email, Telnet, Usenet, Gopher, Wais, and FTP from educational and research bodies dominated Internet traffic. At that time, it was considered somewhat indecent to make commercial public postings, and the limitations of insecure, text-only communications demanded that the community have a common set of rules. The term "netiquette" has been in use since at least 1983,[5] as evidenced by posts of the satirical "Dear Emily" Postnews column.[6]

Common characteristics
Common rules for e-mail[7] and USENET such as avoiding flamewars and spam are constant across most mediums and communities. Another rule is to avoid typing in all caps or grossly enlarging script for emphasis, which is considered to be the equivalent of shouting or yelling. Other commonly shared points, such as remembering that one's posts are (or can easily be made) public, are generally intuitively understood by publishers of Web pages and posters to USENET, although this rule is somewhat flexible depending on the environment. On more private protocols, however, such as e-mail and SMS, some users take the privacy of their posts for granted. One-on-one communications, such as private messages on chat forums and direct SMSs, may be considered more private than other such protocols, but infamous breaches surround even these relatively private media. For example, Paris Hilton's Sidekick PDA was cracked in 2005, resulting in the publication of her private photos, SMS history, address book, etc.[8] More substantially, a group e-mail sent by Cerner CEO Neal Patterson to managers of a facility in Kansas City concerning "Cerner's declining work ethic" read, in part, "The parking lot is sparsely used at 8 A.M.; likewise at 5 P.M. As managers - you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing; or YOU do not CARE ... In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you."[9] After the e-mail

was forwarded to hundreds of other employees, it quickly leaked to the public. On the day that the e-mail was posted to Yahoo!, Cerner's stock price fell by over 22%
[10]

from a high of US$1.5 billion.

[11]

Beyond matters of basic courtesy and privacy, e-mail syntax (defined by RFC 2822) allows for different types of recipients. The primary recipient, defined by the To: line, can reasonably be expected to respond, but recipients of carbon copies cannot be, although they still might.
[12]

Likewise, misuse of the CC:

functions in lieu of traditional mailing lists can result in serious technical issues. In late 2007, employees of the United States Department of Homeland Security used large CC: lists in place of a mailing list to broadcast messages to several hundred users. Misuse of the "reply to all" caused the number of responses to that message to quickly expand to some two million messages, bringing down their mail server.
[13]

In cases like this, rules of netiquette have to do with efficient sharing of resources and ensuring

that the associated technology continues to function rather than more basic etiquette. "When someone makes a mistake whether it's a spelling error or a spelling flame, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer be kind about it. If it's a minor error, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know any better. And never be arrogant or self-righteous about it. Just as it's a law of nature that spelling flames always contain spelling errors, notes pointing out Netiquette violations are often examples [14] of poor Netiquette." Due to the large variation between what is considered acceptable behavior in various professional environments and between professional and social networks, codified internal manuals of style can help clarify acceptable limits and boundaries for user behavior. For instance, failure to publish such a guide for e-mail style was cited among the reasons for a NZ$17,000 wrongful dismissal finding against a firm that fired a woman for misuse of all caps in company-wide e-mail traffic.

THE CORE RULES OF NETIQUETTE

The Core Rules of Netiquette are excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea. Click on each rule for elaboration.
y y y

Introduction Rule 1: Remember the Human Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

y y y y y y y y

Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth Rule 5: Make yourself look good online Rule 6: Share expert knowledge Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy Rule 9: Don't abuse your power Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Netiquette is exactly what it sounds like-etiquette for the internet. Good internet etiquette (netiquette) is all about being courteous to others online to make the internet a fun experience for everyone.

Here are the 10 Best Rules of Netiquette 1.The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. This rule is an oldie but a goodie and can get you through just about any situation, online or off! 2. No "Flaming": Flaming is a form of verbal abuse when you intentionally attack or disrespect somebody for whatever reason. Maybe you didn't agree with something they said, but there's a nice way to share a different point of view without name calling or attacking someone. Harassing or insulting someone will not likely help you gain many online friends! 3. Respect Others' Copyrights: There are wonderful things online, information for everyone on just about any topic! However, these things have copyrights and licenses. Copying the works of someone else without permission or saying it is your own will not only ruin your online reputation, but could land you with hefty fines and lawsuits! 4. DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS: It hurts our eyes. It makes people think you are shouting at them. It's okay to type in caps to accentuate a word or two, but please don't do it all the time everywhere you go. 5. Don't Spam: As a blog owner, I get hundreds of spam messages each day. Most of them aren't even legible, with things like "kjhgsawu" typed in the comments and links to sites with adult or inappropriate content. I don't appreciate it! Some spammers are getting really sneaky, as they use the same generic post over and over again like "I really like your blog" - if you own multiple blogs like I do though you can quickly identify these types of spammers! There's a fine line between spam and self-promotion, do it very carefully!

6. Be Honest: Faking website statistics, pretending to be someone else, or trying to cheat people online will not only hurt your reputation but can land you in a lot of hot water. You know the line honesty is best policy, it's also one of the 10 best rules for netiquette. 7. Use Proper Grammar & Spelling: If u rite liek this lol ppl might start 2 get mad lol. :) We understand spelling isn't always easy and typos and basic spelling mistakes will happen. But if it's distracting from your message, it can be annoying. Using a browser such as Firefox 3 with built in spell check can be a life saver for bad spellers! Be careful not to use too much web jargon, seeing lol used more than twice in a sentence or two is probably unnecessary and does not promote good internet etiquette. 8. Follow the TOS: Most sites have a terms of service policy that also lists rules of netiquette. Read it and abide by it! I am constantly reading discussions on MyLot about people who have had discussions deleted because what they posted did not meet the terms of the website. 9. Keep it PG-13: I never write or say anything I wouldn't let my kids read. It can really come back to haunt you if you write something that's not appropriate - as a blog owner, it could mean trouble with Google if you use them for adwords or like to be ranked in search engines since they seem to penalize swearing/adult content sites. 10. Research Your Facts/Cite Sources: I can't tell you how many times I read something (often politically related) that is not even close to the truth. There is so much information out there online, it can be very difficult to distinguish what is true and not true. Before posting something, forwarding emails, or going off on a tangent, make sure it is factual and cite sources if possible to boost your credibility. Not only will this help keep down on the hoaxes and insanity floating around online, but it can help make you build a solid reputation online. This list of 10 Best Rules of Netiquette will help not only you but others have a much more enjoyable online experience. Have any other tips to add to the 10 best rules of netiquette and good online etiquette? Share it in the comments below.

Ii alma mater
With cheerful hearts round thee we flock Most beloved Imus Institute And raise our voice in merry song Glorifying thy noble name. Dear Alma Mater, keep us all Thy loyal children in thy fold Worthy of thee shall we e'er be Thou our light, our guide, our pride.