Nettiquette

=WHAT EXACTLY IS "NETIQUETTE"? Netiquette= __Net__work Et__iquette__ E-mail Etiquette and Proper Technology Use= //**"Using technology effectively to communicate with others both personally**// There are several possible reasons why we as a group might need to specify Netiquette on this site. If are not aware of these issues you can learn about [|Netiquette] and even as an aside [|E-mail Etiquette] by clicking on the links here. Remember, information is power but only if you use it! REFERENCE - http://www.onlinenetiquette.com/
 * and professionally with knowledge, understanding and courtesy."**


 * We expect other drivers to observe the rules of the road and the same is true as we travel through cyberspace. That's where netiquette, a shortened form of Internet etiquette comes in handy. Here are a few [|pointers] to guide you through your electronic [|communications]**

1. Avoid writing messages or posting in forums using all capital letters. - IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING! 2. To add humour and personality to your messages, use smileys, also known as emoticons, expressions you create from the characters on your keyboard. A few popular ones include:


 * -) Happy
 * -e Disappointed
 * -( Sad
 * -< Mad
 * -o Surprised
 * -D Laughing
 * -@ Screaming


 * -) Winking
 * -I Indifferent

TRY THIS...For more inspiration, visit the [|Unofficial Smiley Dictionary]

3. Keep your communications to the point. Few people like reading really looong entries and it may be better to start a new page or area to allow for various responses. 4. Remember that anything you post to and type here is a public comment. You never know who's reading it or who may copy it and spread it around. 5. When posting a message stick to the topic. Don't indiscriminately post unrelated comments, or worse--advertisements--to these pages. This practice, known as spamming, will quickly lead to another unpleasant Internet practice, flaming. What is flaming? Sometimes you might offend someone unintentionally. Be prepared to receive some angry e-mail or be treated rudely in a public discussion. This is called being flamed. If you attack back, you will spark a flame war. To contain the heat, the best response usually is no response at all. 6. Remember not all of our community may be as techno literate as you and so please respond to any suggestions / requests with patience and respect for our community.


 * Also from Wikipedia**

REF - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netiquette The following is a list of some of the more common rules associated with netiquette on Usenet.
 * The most important rule of netiquette is, "Think before you post". If what you intend to post will not make a positive contribution to the newsgroup and be of interest to several readers, do not post it! Personal messages to one or two individuals should not be posted to [|newsgroups]—use private [|e-mail] instead.
 * This is sometimes stated in other forms, such as "Remember the human."
 * When following up on an article, quote the minimum text necessary to give some context to your reply and be careful to attribute the quote to the correct person. If the article to which you are responding was cross-posted to several groups, edit the distribution ("Newsgroups:") header to contain only those groups which are appropriate to your reply, especially if the original message was posted to one or more inappropriate groups in the first place.
 * Re-read and edit your posting carefully before you post. Check the spelling, grammar, and capitalization. Typing in all capital letters usually denotes screaming or yelling. Keep your lines to fewer than 70 characters. Do not post test messages except in their appropriate groups; wait until you have something to say. When posting humorous or sarcastic comments, it is conventional to append an [|emoticon], but do not overuse them.
 * Before asking a question, read the messages already in the group and read the group's [|FAQ] if it has one. When you do post a question, follow it with, "Please reply by mail and I will post a summary if requested," and make sure you //do// post a summary if requested; or, if only a few people were interested, send them a summary by mail. This avoids umpteen people posting the same answer to the group and umpteen others posting "me too"s.
 * However, many newsgroups follow the rule "Post here, read here" (that is, they explicitly discourage posters from requesting offline answers to topical questions). This is because there may be [|lurkers] who would benefit from seeing the discussion unfold online, and because questioners often do forget to post summaries of their findings.
 * Be proud of your postings, but do not post just to see your name in pixels. Remember: your future employer may be reading

Also...further reading...
The Core Rules of Netiquette are listed here and have been excerpted from the book **//Netiquette//** by Virginia Shea. Click on each rule for an elaboration.
 * **[|Introduction]**
 * **[|Rule 1: Remember the Human]**
 * **[|Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life]**
 * **[|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]**

//Optional:// TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE - [|Netiquette Quiz]