Tips for Proper Netiquette
Welcome to my blog! If you would like to keep updated on new posts, please subscribe.
And consider following me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
In our daily lives, the rules of etiquette are easy to understand. After all, we deal with them every day. However, the rules of etiquette on the internet may seem like a whole different world. Follow these tips for proper netiquette to help you navigate your way through online conversations:
Don’t use all caps – Have you ever seen someone TYPE LIKE THIS? Or perhaps you’ve done it yourself. When you communicate online, typing in all caps equates to shouting. So don’t type in this manner unless you really intend to shout at someone.
Introduce yourself – If you’re new to a forum, it’s proper netiquette to introduce yourself before jumping into conversations. Log in to the forum and briefly introduce yourself. This isn’t the time to give your whole life story. Just tell people a little about yourself and what you’d like to contribute to the forum. Then slowly start contributing your thoughts and insights. Do take care though – no one likes a know-it-all, and you certainly don’t want to go in “all guns blazing” as you may offend regular members of the forum. Slow and steady is the key. With time, you can contribute more and more.
Use emotion text – Saying something online is not the same as saying it offline. If people can’t see your body language, messages can get misconstrued and read the wrong way. Avoid this by adding a little emotion to your writing. Use those ever-popular emoticons (though proceed with caution…more on that later) and add expression to your writing. You can do this by using italics or bold for certain words. You also can add a little humor to certain messages and a few positive comments along the way. These positives will replace your body language and stop your message from appearing dry or tactless.
Don’t overdo it – Using a lot of smiley faces, exclamation marks, capital letters, or bold text may make you appear scattered and a little over the top. The trick is to add a dash of emotion here and there to avoid appearing over the top. It’s also important to think about what you’d like to say before you say it. Try to keep your messages brief and your sentences short and to the point. A long, drawn out message is difficult to read and understand – particularly because you don’t have the body language to go along with it.
Give as much as you take – Don’t abuse a forum by constantly asking questions or marketing your own business. Sure, you can do all of these things but in a moderate way. Take the time to answer other people’s questions and to contribute a few nuggets of your own wisdom to the group. Above all, remember to treat people like you want to be treated.
The rules of the internet are a matter of common sense. Stick to being polite, kind, helpful, and friendly, and people will be drawn to you. This means you are sure to create some great online friendships and business acquaintances.
Previous Post
Next Post