Lesson 4

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LESSON 4:

THE NETIQUETTE AND THE COMPUTER ETHICS

Question for the students: Who among you here are responsible netizen?

In order for us to become a responsible netizen we need to know what are the rules of common
courtesy online. What is DO’s and DON’T’s, what are the set of rules for behaving properly online.

So this morning we will discuss the Netiquette and the computer ethics.

Let us define first the word netiquette

What is Netiquette?

Netiquette is the colloquial acronym for the term “network Etiquette”, to define the word etiquette we
all know that this is refers to the ethical behaviours of human beings that are morally accepted by society.
So the word Netiquette is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction through networks or in simple
terms it is the set of rules for behaving properly online.

When you use e-mail, instant messenger, video calls, or discussion boards to communicate with others
online, make sure to follow the rules of professional online communications known as netiquette. These
rules will help you communicate with instructors, classmates, and potential employers more effectively
and will help prevent misunderstandings.

Consider the following "rules," adapted from Virginia Shea's the Core Rules of Netiquette, whenever
you communicate in the virtual world.

1. Make a good impression


Even though you may be interacting with a computer screen, you are communicating with a real
person who will react to your message. So to leave a good impression you have to treat others
with the same respect that you would like to receive and avoid confrontational or offensive
language.

To help convey meaning when creating messages, it is sometimes acceptable to include


appropriate emoticon symbols, such as a smiley face :) However, for professional
communications these would be inappropriate.

2. Avoid Slang, Acronyms, and Text Talks


Slang is vocabulary of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal
writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-
groups in order to establish group identity, exclude outsiders, or both.

Communicating effectively in college and business environments requires the use of correct
terminology, spelling, and grammar that can easily be understood.

For example, use “your” instead of “ur”.


3. AVOID “SCREAMING” IN TYPED MESSAGES
Typing an entire message using all capital letters is known as “screaming”. It is distracting and
generally frowned upon in professional environments. It is better to draw emphasis to selected
words or phrases by: using italic or bold text; using a different color for text or background color;
or denoting emphasis using special characters (Example: **Important**)

4. PROOFREAD YOUR MESSAGES BEFORE SENDING THEM


Proofreading your messages before you send them is a best practice for effective and efficient
communication. Strive to make your communications concise and free of any:
• Spelling and grammar errors
• Confusing terms or phrases that could be misunderstood
• Errors of omission, such as missing content or recipients
• Errors in accuracy of information

5. EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHERS ONLINE

Exercise good judgement meaning think first before posting everything online.

– E-mail and chat messages that you send or receive are considered private and should not be
forwarded or copied to others without gaining the consent of all involved participants. In
general, messages posted to discussion boards and social media sites can be read by the public.
You may never know who might read or share what you post. It is a good practice to always ask
a post’s author for permission before sharing a post with other parties.
• To protect your privacy and safety, do not share online any sensitive personal information
such as:
- Your home address or phone number
- Personal conversations - Social plans, such as vacations
- Financial information
- Usernames, passwords, or hints
- Anything personal that you would not want shared by others over the Internet

• If the material you share with others online came from another source, make every effort to
gain permission from the original author or copyright holder. Copying someone else's work and
passing it off as your own is plagiarism. It damages your reputation and could subject you to
serious academic and legal consequences.

6. RESPECT DIVERSITY IN VIEWPOINTS


Be constructive and respectful when sharing opinions, beliefs, and criticisms, or responding to
those of others in the conversation. Remember what is acceptable to you may not be acceptable
to others.
• When sharing a viewpoint that differs from someone else’s, it is a best practice to first
acknowledge the other person by briefly restating what he or she said, but in your own words.
This lets the person know that you are listening and trying to understand them.
• When presenting an opinion or criticism, it is helpful to use phrases that identify to whose
point of view you are referring. If the opinion is yours, you can begin with the phrase “In my
experience” or “In my opinion”. If it is a viewpoint of someone else, make sure you identify that
in your message (Example: “According to Eric Ericson,” or “The president believes”).

10 commandments in computer ethics:

Rule 1: Remember the human on the other side of the electronic communication
whether through email, instant message, discussion post, text, or some other method, practice
the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Remember, your
written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication. Before you
press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written
it?

Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they
certainly should not be lower. You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical
manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone
face-toface? On most occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in the virtual world.

Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace


"Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) Depending on where you are in the
virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable in one area, where it might be
considered inappropriate in another.
What you text to a friend may not be appropriate in an email to a classmate or colleague. Can
you think of another example?

Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth


Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people
today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails
or discussion posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that
the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written communication meaningful
and to the point, without extraneous text or superfluous graphics or attachments that may take
forever to download.

Rule 5: Make yourself look good online writing


One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your
physical appearance, sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear (unless you post a video of
yourself singing Karaoke in a clown outfit.) You will, however, be judged by the quality of your
writing, so keep the following tips in mind: Always check for spelling and grammar errors Know
what you're talking about and state it clearly be pleasant and polite.
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the ease in which information can be shared
or accessed and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one of the reasons the Internet
was founded. So, in the spirit of the Internet's "founding fathers," share what you know! When
you post a question and receive intelligent answers, share the results with others. Are you an
expert at something? Post resources and references about your subject matter. Recently
expanded your knowledge about a subject that might be of interest to others? Share that as
well.

Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control


What is meant by "flaming" and "flame wars?"
"Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any
emotion." (Shea, 1994). As an example, think of the kinds of passionate comments you might
read on a sports blog. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication,
"flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one another, must be
controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't feed the flames;
extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy


Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum,
Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that
needs to be handled with care. Perhaps someone is sharing some medical news about a loved
one or discussing a situation at work. What do you think would happen if this information "got
into the wrong hands?" Embarrassment? Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you expect others
to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to see on the side of
caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.

Rule 9: Don't abuse your power


Just like in face-to-face situations, there are people in cyberspace who have more "power" than
others. They have more expertise in technology or they have years of experience in a particular
skill or subject matter. Maybe it's you who possesses all of this knowledge and power! Just
remember: knowing more than others do or having more power than others may have does not
give you the right to take advantage of anyone. Think of Rule 1: Remember the human.

Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes


Not everyone has the same amount of experience working in the virtual world. And not
everyone knows the rules of netiquette. At some point, you will see a stupid question, read an
unnecessarily long response, or encounter misspelled words; when this happens, practice
kindness and forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if you had committed the same
offense. If it's a minor "offense," you might want to let it slide. If you feel compelled to respond
to a mistake, do so in a private email rather than a public forum.

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