CSC 379 SUM2008:Week 1, Group 1

Netiquette Best Practices: Online Communities

At the time of writing of “Netiquette” and RFC1855 in 1994-95, it would have been difficult to envision the variety of community structures and ranges of participation that characterize the contemporary internet. Despite being written over a decade ago, most of the guidelines remain relevant today; however elaboration is needed to address interactions in the new and emerging mediums of the web, such as social networks, blogs, wikis, and other interactive websites. Examine existing Netiquette guidelines, identifying those that have grown in importance, and propose several new guidelines applicable to these online communities. Provide short explanations for each proposal, citing evidence for its consideration as a “best practice” for the development of and/or interaction within online communities. Include justification for each of your proposals on the basis of ethical principles. DUE FRIDAY 11:30PM

Origin

The term netiquette is a portmanteau word using the words net, referring to the internet, and etiquette. The earliest known use of the word dates back to 1988 from columns in Dear Emily Postnews.[1] The need for these rules arose during a time when the main use of the internet was text based email. Most considered it inappropriate for anyone with a commercial agenda to send their messages this way. This called for a set of ground rules to regulate behavior of its users.

Ethical Issue

The way one is expected to behave online may seem straightforward, but the nature of online communities can make meeting these expectations harder. The distance between users in a community may cause some to become more vocal and act in ways they may not in person. In the virtual world that the Internet creates, it's easy to think that your actions do not carry the same weight and consequences that they would in the real world. As a result, people must act in accordance with their own ethical and moral beliefs online in the same way that they would act offline.

General Rules

A standard set of rules applies to all online situations where people are interacting with other people. These rules lay a basic foundation for positive ethical and moral choices that individuals must make when online just as they would when offline.

1. They're people too
   • Respect others:
     • Feelings
     • Opinions
     • Time
     • Privacy
     • Personal Information
2. Your Internet persona should be an extension of you
   • Act the same way online as you would in real life.
   • Don't incriminate yourself.
3. Know where you are on the web
   • Certain domains may have specific rule that users are required to follow.
   • Look for questions you may have in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document before asking them.

Social Networking

The Internet has evolved over the past decade to include a wide variety of social networking sites populated completely by user-generated content. For all of these sites, users should abide by a set of etiquette rules that guide them towards making the right ethical decisions when posting online.

Some of the more popular websites centered around user-generated content:

• YouTube

From movies and music videos to "what I ate today ", YouTube has transformed the Internet from the text-based world of the 1990's into the streaming-video fed society that it is today.

• Facebook

A social utility that began as a networking tool for Harvard students now has over 120 million worldwide users. Facebook gives users the ability to learn about people in many different networks, such as schools, regions, or companies. In 2006, facebook became open to anyone, allowing people with friends and others who work, study and live around them to stay connected.

• MySpace

Commonly used by musicians, job-seekers, and any other person interested in creating their own corner of the Internet. The most common users on MySpace are there to promote themselves either socially, professionally, or both.

Rules for using social networking sites:

1. When posting a video on YouTube, or creating a profile on MySpace or Facebook, expect that the entire world might one day see it.
2. Know that a seemingly harmless act of posting something funny about someone else might end up hurting their self-esteem on an irreparable level.
   • You never know when something that you meant for a small audience might end up receiving national attention such as the infamous Star Wars Kid
3. When you are a witness to something that the world would view as wrong and you feel that it is your duty to get the word out, you really can't beat social networking sites when it comes to spreading information, however, as a rule, make certain that what you are posting is true to the best of your knowledge.
   • Watching someone getting wrongly treated and even tasered for speaking their mind.
   • Knowing that someone is being worked beyond the point of exhaustion on an on-going basis and their employer doesn't care anything about it.[2]
4. Don't think that just because your Facebook or MySpace page is only visited by your friends that it is hidden from the rest of the world.
   • More and more employers are looking at candidates' Facebook and MySpace pages to get a glimpse into their non-professional traits and habits prior to hiring. If you don't want your potential new boss to know that you like to party every Wednesday night, don't post about it.
   • If you don't want your parents to know that you like to drink excessively every weekend, don't post about it.

Blogs

1. Give readers a biography and photo.
   • Allow the reader to trust you.
   • Show them you have credential or experience in the field(s) you are commenting on.
   • Users can relate more easily to someone they've seen.
   • Gain credibility simply by the fact that you're not trying to hide.
2. Use clear and concise posting titles and links.
   • Readers should grasp the gist of an article by reading its title.
   • When using a search engine, user usually only read the headline to decide to click or not.
   • The reader should have a good idea of where every link goes before clicking. Life is too short to click on an unknown.
3. Don't use dates as the only navigation tool.
   • Have several ways a reader can organize past entries. Others include:
     • Topics/Genre
     • Device used to compose it
     • Number of Hits/Popularity
   • Link relevant, past pieces in newer ones.
   • Make entries with lasting values easily accessible.
4. Don't have an unpredictable entry frequency.
   • Make entries on a regular basis.
   • Readers must be able to anticipate your next entry.
   • Most weblogs are updated daily, but weekly and monthly updates also work depending on subject matter.
   • Don't post when you have nothing to say. Withhold some ideas or post for when this does occur.

Message Boards

1. Respect and listen to forum moderators and administrators
   • Don't make their jobs harder than they already are
   • They are often volunteers so give them the respect they deserve
2. Read board rules before posting
3. Re-read the rules occasionally to check for changes
   • Abide by the rules at all times
4. Lurk before posting for the first time
5. Help keep flame wars under control
   • Don't post or respond to flame bait.
   • Apologize for your mistakes.
   • Be forgiving of others mistakes.
   • Don't post when angry
6. Give honest, expert advice when possible
   • If you don't know the answer, don't fake it
   • Accept the possibility that you might be wrong

Wikis

1. Maintain objectivity.
   • Write entries in a neutral tone. Do not, for example, write the article in such a way as to clearly praise one aspect of an issue while denouncing the other(s).
   • Only present facts, not opinions. Facts can be researched and verified, opinions cannot. Therefore, listing facts is the only way to remain neutral.
   • It is for the best to avoid writing about your own original research, as you will have some manner of investment in it, which can cloud your objectivity.
2. Back up figures and claims with the appropriate sources.
   • If from the internet, links to the web page, blog, etc.
   • If from a book or other non-electronic record, the title, author, publisher, name of magazine, etc.
   • If a quote from a person, a link to a video, recording, or perhaps a transcript.
3. Write the article in a professional manner.
   • Use legible English or whatever language in which you are fluent. Check your entry beforehand for serious spelling and grammatical errors.
   • Stay true to the vocabulary surrounding the topic, but do not obfuscate the entry with so much technical jargon as to be indecipherable by people who are not already knowledgeable about the topic.
   • Do not use expletives (the obvious exception being if you are quoting a source). Remember that your work can and will be viewed by many.
   • Maintain a neutral, third-person perspective. You should not be writing about yourself or anything you did anyway.
4. Be courteous when editing or commenting other people's entries.
   • Do not insult the person if they made a mistake. Simply correct the error and make a note of it.
   • Do not make redundant or pointless edits. An example would be editing the article to say hello to the author.

Many of these rules are inspired by the original Wikipedia's own policies.

Online Gaming

Since the late 1990's online gaming has taken on a whole new level of popularity. What was once limited to local area networks, online gaming in today's Internet includes millions of users around the world constantly interacting with each other. The largest online game today, World of Warcraft currently has over 10 million subscribers with another 6 million people playing other massively multi-player online games (MMOs). Another important point with online gaming is that the user base is not limited to adults only. In most online games, adults can interact directly with children with little to no censorship regulating their communication. As a result, the ethical implications of poor behavior "in-game" are significant. Online, just as it is in the real world, children learn what is ethically and morally acceptable by observing the adults around them. What this amounts to is a significant risk of "being a bad example" to children unless specific rules are followed.

Netiquette rules for online gaming

1. Avatars in a virtual world represent real people and should be treated as such.
2. Young children often play online games so don't say or do anything that you wouldn't want your own children to be exposed to.
3. Play fair. Make your opponent(s) want to play again.
4. Be considerate of beginners. Remember you were a network newbie once.
5. Don't quit a game simply because you are losing.
6. If you are hosting a game and you must leave, communicate that to your guest(if possible) before ending the game.
7. Many online games take place in persistent worlds so the etiquette mistakes you might make one day will be remembered by others for days to come.

External Links

• Netiquette by Virginia Shea
• Netiquette on Wikipedia
• RFC1855 Netiquette Guidelines
• Dear Emily Postnews Earliest use of the term Netiquette
• Internet Etiquette for kids
• Basic guidelines from AL6400.com
• n-etiquette.com
• Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes