Brief History of Netiquette

BRIEF HISTORY OF NETIQUETTE
Network etiquette is the informal term that was used to describe group rules
for the internet in the early days of the internet. Netiquette is the culture of the
internet.
The rules of netiquette are the common practices and conventions of internet use.
Netiquettes are the category and domain specific cultures.
Groups, companies, and organizations created network etiquette out of necessity.
The word was first posted in a Usenet forum in 1982.

The same year the word internet was first used.
Netiquette was created as a joke. It was then used to describe effective email
communication. List serve networks began using rules for delivering information
to the network. For example, The Toastmasters Group I was part of in the early
days of the internet had guidelines for using the list serve to email the entire group.
As technology has progressed pictures, graphics, video, and other content have
attracted more people to the internet for more than just email. Web Designers plan
the cultural interaction of visitors, repeat visitors define it, and
NetworkEtiquette.net publishes the official rules of netiquette on that website.
Toastmasters International (TI) is a US headquartered nonprofit educational organization that

operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication, public speaking and
leadership.
GOOD NETIQUETTE
 Include context – When commenting on a message or conversation thread it is good
netiquette to include a relevant quote from the original message to give context to
your comment.
 Check, then click – Before you post a comment, double check that you are saying
exactly what you want to say. One small error can completely change the meaning
of your message, so read and read again before sending.
 We are only human – Remember that an actual person with real feelings, beliefs,
imperfections and emotions is behind every message, email or comment. It’s
sometimes easy to get carried away and write something that you would not dream
of saying to someone’s face and can be mistaken for displaying bad
netiquette or cyberbullying behavior.
 Do you get it? – Jokes, dark humor and sarcasm are often difficult to convey over the
internet. So to avoid potential misunderstandings, always indicate the humorous
nature of your comment. You could do this by using emoticons, putting “lol” (laugh
out loud) at the end of the message or by starting with a phrase like, “On a lighter
note…”
 Newbies – We were all once new to social media, gaming online, emails, messaging
and forums – so always try and help someone new who is making mistakes. (If you
are new, check out our ‘What is netiquette?‘ section for more information).
 Don’t spam! – It is normal to want to be noticed in the crowd of people on social
media – but spamming (another word for sending the same or similar messages
lots of times) can be annoying and may have the opposite effect!
 Be yourself – If you want to get the most out of communicating online, be yourself.
Making up false profiles and alter egos will only discourage people from talking
openly with you and taking you seriously. Remember that most trolls and
cyberbullies use false profiles, so be careful not to be mistaken for one.
 Express yourself – Don’t be afraid to express yourself openly and honestly.
Netiquette is not about restricting expression but about making it easier for people
to understand.
 Allow others to express themselves too – Remember that everybody has an opinion,
so allow them to express it. You may have to agree to disagree on many issues,
but just make your point and move on. Don’t let a simple difference of opinion
escalate into an argument.
 Don’t SHOUT – Avoid writing whole words or sentences in capital letters. This is the
equivalent of someone SCREAMING IN YOUR EAR!
 Respect people’s privacy – Don’t pass on another person’s private information or
photos unless you have their permission. Not only is this bad netiquette but you
may also be accused of cyberbullying, doxing or online harassment.
 Avoid conflict – Trading insults and abuse is bad netiquette. It is pointless and
negative and could get you banned from the platform or community. Avoid being
drawn into fights and never post abusive content on social media – this will result
in your accounts being suspended.
BAD NETIQUETTE
 Not including context – When commenting on a message thread or existing post, it is
considered bad netiquette to not include relevant information from the original post
in order to add context to your comment. This can make it confusing for other
users.
 Not proof reading – By not reading what you have wrote before pressing ‘post’ or
‘send’, you could be saying something you didn’t intend to say! One typo or auto-
correct is all it takes to change the entire sentiment of a message. This can
potentially cause unnecessary distress or offense to the recipient.
 Inappropriate jokes – It is considered bad netiquette to make jokes that would be
deemed as inappropriate by others, especially when replying to a thread of
messages or comments on an existing post. Making jokes that could offend others
or placing a joke on an existing thread that has upsetting or distressing content
would be considered inappropriate.
 Ignoring people who need help – If someone asks you directly for help online, it
would be deemed bad netiquette to ignore their request for help. Even if you can’t
assist them directly with their problem, you could try and find some information
or support groups that are able to help them with their situation.
 Spamming others – It can be difficult to get noticed when using social media and
online forums, especially when it comes to companies managing their customer
services through social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The
temptation to send continuous messages until you gain the attention of the
company can be overwhelming – but it is deemed bad netiquette to send a chain
of continuous messages to any company or individual online. This behavior can
actually have consequences such as being banned from social media platforms or
banned from messaging people within the platform you are using.
 Catfishing – It is considered bad netiquette to pretend to be someone else by using
photos of another person or lying about your identity to others. Catfishing can
cause serious psychological harm to the victim and can potentially destroy any
relationships or friendships that have been made.
 Not allowing others to express themselves – Everyone is entitled to their own opinion
and not allowing someone their right to an opinion is bad netiquette. Even if you
disagree with their thoughts and opinions, it is important to let them express
themselves.
 Using capital letters all the time – When we want to express emphasis on
something, it can prove especially difficult online and occasionally we use capital
letters to get our point across. Although it can be effective, if you always use
capitals it can make people believe you’re annoyed or shouting at them.
 Not respecting people’s privacy – It is deemed bad netiquette to share any
information about someone else online without permission to do so. Even if they
share that information themselves, you should always check. Not only is it
considered as bad netiquette but it could also be considered doxing.
 Arguing with people – When commenting on threads of messages, it can be easy to
let your thoughts and opinions get the better of you where you end up arguing with
someone over contrasting views. Different opinions are fine – that is what makes
the internet so great, but it is considered bad netiquette to insult other people
because of their opinion. This behavior can result in you being banned from
the social media platform all together.

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BRIEF HISTORY OF NETIQUETTE

Netiquettes are the category and domain specific cultures.

Groups, companies, and organizations created network etiquette out of necessity.

The word was first posted in a Usenet forum in 1982.

Toastmasters International (TI) is a US headquartered nonprofit educational organization that

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