A good :read: Help keep RS Special and unlike "other forums"
The Golden Rule of Netiquette is to: do unto others online as you would have done to you.
1. Internet etiquette
Some people say that the popularity of the internet has meant a resurgence of the most old-fashioned skill of all: writing. So many of the new forms of communication – like email, online forums, composing and commenting on blog posts – require the ability to express yourself on a page, with words. Others are not convinced. Apart from the sloppy grammar, tangled sentences and butchered spelling visible all over the internet, it seems that we have also forgotten the rules of common courtesy.
Are you familiar with road rage? The online equivalent to that explosive frustration is called a flame war. There are many theories for this phenomenon. It seems that something about communicating online encourages us to forget our manners.
1.1 Communicating through text
When you are speaking to somebody face to face, it's easy to pick up clues about their mood and attitude. Their expression and body language communicate as clearly as the spoken words. Even a phone call is easier to manage, as the tone of voice helps us understand one another.
In email or any other text-based medium, all these clues have been removed. You only have the words on the screen, and it’s easy to take offense when the tone of voice is in your imagination. A simple misunderstanding can escalate into an ugly fight in a couple of words.
So how can you avoid starting a flame war?
1.2 Online communication checklist
Here is a checklist to keep in mind whenever you communicate online, whether in an email, a discussion forum, a note on Facebook or through any of the other forms of text-based communication.
Be polite. Would you say the same if you were face to face with the person you are writing to?
Be concise and clear. Vagueness and generalisations cause misunderstanding. Refer to specific examples and actual people – ideally things that you have personally experienced.
Respond to the words on the page, not to what you believe the author's intention was. Base your assumption on what has actually been written, rather than reacting to what you think the writer believes or means to say.
Stay away from making blanket statements and referring to broad groups of people (either positively or negatively). Blanket statements expose your prejudices but don't add useful information to a discussion.
Be open minded. You don’t have to agree with everybody out there. Having an open mind means that you are willing to listen to others and respond in ways that are not intended to silence them.
Watch your emotional levels. If you find yourself responding emotionally – even with the greatest of justification – step away from the keyboard. Allow yourself time to cool down before responding.
Be aware of your motivation. Why are you writing? Are you trying to prove that you are right, or to "win" an argument? Or do you care about persuading somebody or changing their mind about something? Look at what you have just written. Does it just serve to stamp your opinion, or have you added to the conversation?
1.3 Speaking with text
These days, most email programs and browsers are capable of displaying text as bold or italic, and it’s easy to insert images into a message. These visual aids can help express your emphasis and tone of voice. This was not always the case in the past, and an entire system evolved to convey tone of voice and attitude through the use of text symbols. These are still very useful as they are often subtler and more expressive.
As always, consider the context before using any of these. What may be useful in a friendly message may be off-putting in a formal letter.
1.3.1 Emphasis
You can stress a particular word or sentence by bracketing it with appropriate punctuations marks. An asterisk symbol (*) adds light emphasis:
It is *essential* that we agree on the correct approach.
Angle brackets (> <) and capital letters create quite a different effect, and one that is more emphatic. They should therefore be used sparingly.
Please remember that we will >>NOT<< accept any entries after the stated deadline.
1.3.2 Emoticons
Using letters to create the equivalent of facial expressions can be useful to indicate the emotional tone. There are dozens of emoticons in use, but the most common are:
smile
frown
wink
wry :/
embarrassed disgusted
Emoticons can be very useful in avoiding misunderstandings, but should be used sparingly in any but the most informal context. Keep the context in mind when using any of these techniques.
1.4 Be aware of the context
The above examples are a very small sample of how one can convey tone of voice in a message. There are no rules, and different people will attach different meanings to the same symbols. Always look at the context to make sense of the communication.
The Golden Rule of Netiquette is to: do unto others online as you would have done to you.
1. Internet etiquette
Some people say that the popularity of the internet has meant a resurgence of the most old-fashioned skill of all: writing. So many of the new forms of communication – like email, online forums, composing and commenting on blog posts – require the ability to express yourself on a page, with words. Others are not convinced. Apart from the sloppy grammar, tangled sentences and butchered spelling visible all over the internet, it seems that we have also forgotten the rules of common courtesy.
Are you familiar with road rage? The online equivalent to that explosive frustration is called a flame war. There are many theories for this phenomenon. It seems that something about communicating online encourages us to forget our manners.
1.1 Communicating through text
When you are speaking to somebody face to face, it's easy to pick up clues about their mood and attitude. Their expression and body language communicate as clearly as the spoken words. Even a phone call is easier to manage, as the tone of voice helps us understand one another.
In email or any other text-based medium, all these clues have been removed. You only have the words on the screen, and it’s easy to take offense when the tone of voice is in your imagination. A simple misunderstanding can escalate into an ugly fight in a couple of words.
So how can you avoid starting a flame war?
1.2 Online communication checklist
Here is a checklist to keep in mind whenever you communicate online, whether in an email, a discussion forum, a note on Facebook or through any of the other forms of text-based communication.
Be polite. Would you say the same if you were face to face with the person you are writing to?
Be concise and clear. Vagueness and generalisations cause misunderstanding. Refer to specific examples and actual people – ideally things that you have personally experienced.
Respond to the words on the page, not to what you believe the author's intention was. Base your assumption on what has actually been written, rather than reacting to what you think the writer believes or means to say.
Stay away from making blanket statements and referring to broad groups of people (either positively or negatively). Blanket statements expose your prejudices but don't add useful information to a discussion.
Be open minded. You don’t have to agree with everybody out there. Having an open mind means that you are willing to listen to others and respond in ways that are not intended to silence them.
Watch your emotional levels. If you find yourself responding emotionally – even with the greatest of justification – step away from the keyboard. Allow yourself time to cool down before responding.
Be aware of your motivation. Why are you writing? Are you trying to prove that you are right, or to "win" an argument? Or do you care about persuading somebody or changing their mind about something? Look at what you have just written. Does it just serve to stamp your opinion, or have you added to the conversation?
1.3 Speaking with text
These days, most email programs and browsers are capable of displaying text as bold or italic, and it’s easy to insert images into a message. These visual aids can help express your emphasis and tone of voice. This was not always the case in the past, and an entire system evolved to convey tone of voice and attitude through the use of text symbols. These are still very useful as they are often subtler and more expressive.
As always, consider the context before using any of these. What may be useful in a friendly message may be off-putting in a formal letter.
1.3.1 Emphasis
You can stress a particular word or sentence by bracketing it with appropriate punctuations marks. An asterisk symbol (*) adds light emphasis:
It is *essential* that we agree on the correct approach.
Angle brackets (> <) and capital letters create quite a different effect, and one that is more emphatic. They should therefore be used sparingly.
Please remember that we will >>NOT<< accept any entries after the stated deadline.
1.3.2 Emoticons
Using letters to create the equivalent of facial expressions can be useful to indicate the emotional tone. There are dozens of emoticons in use, but the most common are:
smile
frown
wink
wry :/
embarrassed disgusted
Emoticons can be very useful in avoiding misunderstandings, but should be used sparingly in any but the most informal context. Keep the context in mind when using any of these techniques.
1.4 Be aware of the context
The above examples are a very small sample of how one can convey tone of voice in a message. There are no rules, and different people will attach different meanings to the same symbols. Always look at the context to make sense of the communication.
