Internet Etiquette

Also known as 'netiquette' internet etiquette are a set of rules which define proper behaviour on the internet.

Emailing multiple recipients:

CC vs Bcc. CC stands for carbon copy. When you send an email using the CC option, you are revealing the email address to everybody you have included in the email list.

Bcc stands for blind carbon copy & when you send out an email to multiple recipients using the Bcc function you are not revealing the recipients.

The CC option is fine if you are sending a small group of family members or co-workers who all know each others addresses.  Many people misuse the CC option by sending emails to everybody in their address book often to people who are unrelated & or don't know one another. This is  poor internet etiquette. Does your boss really want your best friend to see his email address? Probably not! When you are sending out an email to multiple unrelated people use the Bcc option.

Using the CC option is generally used when you want a group of people to be kept in the loop.  They can see who else has been included in the email.

Forwarding jokes, chain letters etc.

Another common complaint is the  forwarding of jokes, chain letters & feel good stories via email. If you are going to do this then you should check with your friends & family that they are happy to receive this type of email. A great number of people don't like to receive these & consider it to be really poor form to be on the receiving end of such mail. So please check. It is very poor form to Cc this type of email. When sending these out always use the Bcc option.

Scams, myths & urban legends

We've all received emails warning us about the dangers of such & such & while they may have been sent in good faith it is always a good idea to do a quick search of the internet to find out if they are in fact true. A really good place to find out if something is in fact an urban legend or not is Snopes. Check before you pass it on!

Forums etiquette:

Read the rules. This especially applies to the use of signatures & images. Always make sure you are familiar with any guidelines before you post.

Before you ask a question, do a quick search of the forums to see if there are any similar threads already going.

DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPITALS. ALL CAPS IS CONSIDERED TO BE SHOUTING & VERY RUDE.

Use paragraphs, grammar & capital letters where appropriate. Nobody expects you to write perfectly well but basic structure helps people understand your post. Many people will hit the back button if they see a reply which is one large block of text with no punctuation.

Avoid using SMS & leet speak on forums.

Smileys are really helpful in displaying emotion but a post peppered with them can be irritating.

Do not start multiple threads on the same topic.

Be careful about the information you provide on forums. Make sure it is correct, use extreme caution when providing information that could cause somebody physical, emotional or financial harm. It is always better to recommend they seek professional advice than offer it on the internet.

Don't publish copyrighted material or photos on forums.

Try to use as descriptive a title as possible. Starting a topic with 'help' will actually receive fewer viewers than something more descriptive such as 'chocolate cake recipe needed'.

Only use the quote function if you are specifically replying to a comment somebody has posted. Do not quote entire posts.

If you have decided it is time to leave a forum then either quietly PM the administrator & have your account deleted (if that is what you want) or just leave & don't come back. Don't create a big song & dance by announcing your intention to leave on the forum. It is considered attention seeking behaviour.

Copyright theft:

If you own a website do not copy articles from other sites. This is theft. If you are a webmaster & would like to check for any articles of yours which may have been taken without your permission you can do so here.

Authors put a lot of time & effort into producing unique content on their websites so for people to come along & take it without their permission is at best extremely frustrating & at worst theft.

If you are an author & have sourced some of your information from other articles it is important you provide adequate credit.

The same also applies to the unauthorised use of photos, especially when they are taken & used on websites but also published on forums. If you ask the owner of the photo if it can be used you will find that they often are happy to grant this permission as long as they receive a credit or link back to their website. It may seem innocent enough using somebody's photo but it is unethical to do so. The owner of the photo should have final say in where it is published.

If you find an article you would like members of a forum to read then posting the first line or two is generally okay, but then post a link to the article for members to click on. Don't just copy the entire article to the forums.

Rumours, gossip, privacy & respect:

Do not use the internet to spread rumours or gossip about other people.
Respect their privacy even if you don't like them. This can cause untold hurt & says more about the person spreading the rumours than the person being talked about. It could also land you in court for defamation.

Treat people how you would like to be treated & only say what you would be happy for your elderly grandmother to read.

Finally, always be very careful what you say online. Do you really want your boss to find out you've been complaining about him online? Once something is said on the internet it is forever, so be very aware that your words can come back to haunt you.