You’ve heard of Etiquette right? If not…check out this Wiki Reference as it’ll explain it more concisely.
Netiquette is basically the online version - how you interact/socialise and behave online with others or in an independant capacity. “Online Netiquette” comes into play when you’re part of a community just like SitePoint Forums. In some cases it’s like having a set of “unwritten rules” (or written) that we all abide by, sort of like having good manners and putting them into practice online.
Alot of people believe that if you have good netquiette skills you tend to succeed more than those who don’t. For instance take the following example: if you help out in Forums - say you offer advice in a community setting - you tend to get further in a networking/business capacity than those members who don’t… or even in an Instant Messaging format…people tend to take a dim view of those who only talk using capital letters and class it as being a bit larey/shouting and being disrespectful so in turn they get blocked…Perhaps a bit over the top, but it happens…Don’t you remember the old Yahoo Chat days?!
Then there’s the whole spamming side of things - flooding users screens with instant messages, adverts, etc - these are also big no no’s when it comes to online netiquette!
Personally, I like to think I possess and practice good online netiquette skills, but there are always room for improvement. Take for example something I’ve noticed lately, my smiley usage - to me this is expressive, yet to others it may appear as overkill of something that should only be used in moderation! Food for thought me thinks! When it comes to chatting online I tend to favour those who spell out their words correctly rather than using “net lingo abbreviations/acronyms/initialisms” - these drive me mad! Again, an unwritten rule but I think alot of people prefer to read something that is coherent and phrased using the correct grammar! jumps off soapbox :x
What about cultural barriers - Perhaps you find it difficult to communicate with those who don’t speak the same language as you? Maybe you’re humour is a little “off the wall” and may appear as offensive to some - how do you prevent this upset from occuring? Do you have any time saving tips you can offer up to us!
So how do you rate your own online netiquette skills? What are your pet peeves? Maybe you find it all simply over-rated and unnecessary? Do you think possessing these skills affects your business networking/opportunities/prospects online? Please do share! :spf:
I have to admit that I’m a swearer. I didn’t realise how bad I was until I had kids. But I never swear AT people, and I think that’s an important distinction to make.
I like to think that my netiquette is great - in a job like mine that’s pretty important - but I’ll drop in the odd inappropriate comment for the sake of humour - personally I think that’s pretty important too, provided it doesn’t hurt or offend.
There are definitely things you must do in order to be courteous to others. In Australia, with some people, if you do not have a drink (alcohol) with them there is something wrong with you and they get extremely offended. This happens more with the older generation.
If you want to be in business in Australia, it’s probably a good idea to take up drinking unless you happen to want to work with one of those stuck up types there seems to only be the 2 extremes sometimes.
My netiquette is pretty good, I don’t all caps (red) like an AOL’er, I don’t run around screaming Nazi, Hitler or paedo like mySpace, I don’t turn what I say into leetspeak (unless I’ve watched the movie hackers where I just can’t help but want to yell HAX TEH PL4N3T) and I’ve not tried to reinact 2 girls 1 cup. I’ve managed to tone down the acronym usage (I was a heavy LOL’er - though I do LOL for real when I use it). My major issue as it currently stands is my susceptibility to troll-baiting. I psychologically and physically can’t help but want to flame or burn people who pro-actively troll… I put it down to years of high-school torment
Actually, Etiquette has evolved as has society, the whole idea of what constitutes good behaviour is subjective and changes depending on who you ask and what society as a whole dictates. For example, if you were to (as in the movie Demolition Man) run down the high street naked covered in green jello smoking cigars… people would frown upon it, but if you wanted to swear like an Irish leprechaun because you found out all your stock market shares had bottomed out it’s OK.
I tend to have problems with people who don’t accept swearwords, if their used contextually in the right circumstances rather than as an empty rage bottle-up then there’s no reason why people shouldn’t use them (though some people find it offensive which is rather odd). I don’t tend to swear often but I don’t see why those words have some sort of psychological power over some people, their nothing but descriptive words that have existed for centuries, and IMO, anyone who thinks using swear words lowers the intellect or vocabulary of a person needs to get a CAT scan or something. Some of the smartest most intelligent people I know (and some of the most literate too) swear on a regular occasion, if anything it’s expanding your vocabulary to include the taboo
Yea but your Irish hazel, you guys have some sort of legal obligation to swear on a regular occasion, especially about the English!
That’s an interesting thought cptnox! I would have to agree with you - my netiquette is far better than my etiquette skills too! But I think this is tied in with the swearing argument though aswell - it can let me down at times especially when I’m angry about something, it’s almost an instant profanity alert!
With some people I know, using swear words is sometimes the only way you can really communicate effectively with them - I know this sounds really off the wall - but for those who are very laid back - rough and ready types - using swear words is considered courteous - seriously, if you didn’t use them you would be considered posh or stuck up - it depends on the area you’re in and who you’re talking to over here really - I went to a rough school mixed during my early teenage years and if you didn’t have any street smarts or acted like everyone else you were in for a world of hurt - of course I’m not one to follow the crowd but sometimes in certain situations you just have to conform to the norm especially if it’s just you against a big rough crowd! - I guess I learned alot of bad habits along the way, it’s difficult to give them up now but not impossible of course…
I do agree with NetNerd though regarding the work place, forums, etc - it’s funny how we can turn it off and on again - makes me agree with Datura though about the laziness factor.
Absolutely agree - I’m a bit of an extremist myself at times, I rarely see the grey areas but I’m learning to be a bit more compromising :x
It does boil down to the whole topic you raised earlier NetNerd about putting some feelers out for those you are interacting with, then you can call upon the correct etiquette/netiquette stance you need to apply.
I can understand the drinking issue too - it’s like that here aswell, or if you don’t have a cup of tea when you’re visiting someone’s house - quite funny really when you think about it… But again it’s all branching into social skills really and how effective you are with implementing your fancy etiquette skills!
I don’t agree with peer pressure though - I do appreciate that you have to conform to the norm in some circumstances but I would draw the line with the drinking issue. I’m not a drinker at all so if someone judged me purely on this issue then I would take offence It’s a tricky one really - whether or not it’s something you can change with good eitquette skills, I don’t know…
true about the regularity but not about the English - my bf is English, I’d get a slap or two if I did that and well deserved!
That’s quite interesting Sarah - I very rarely swear at anyone, it’s mostly about something or a situation I can’t control or I’m angry about but I do tend to get a bit agitated when it comes to annoying clients, sometimes I do tend to name call in that instance, makes me feel a bit better
It’s funny how we can turn off the swearing though especially around children, perhaps it is just down to a discipline or maybe just plain old responsibility :x
Yes, I know, people do it all the time, but they use wrong grammar as well. They use words in the wrong context. Words have specific meanings and the meaning of a word is often not understood.
Again, a certain laziness to learn. Swearwords are often used to pump up an empty ego and often it goes deeper than that, it has many layers of cultural reasons, especially ethical ones.
I don’t think people would see it as a problem. It’s really not a big issue and people need to learn to ignore words if they get upset by them. Swearing is just colourful words used to express.
Etiquette is dead. It died because there are no ladies or gentlemen any more.
You need to find out their rules, what things mean to them. But I would recommend not using humour until you can gauge how someone might react. That said, how many times have you just happened to catch your friend or partner at the wrong time with an off coloured joke? That’s a big oopsie
In all honesty my Netiquette skills are a lot better than my Etiquette skills. I tend to type more formally when interacting over the web, etc. Even more so with people I do not know. However, I do also enjoy a good old joke around over IM with friends, so this levels it out a little bit
I am pretty much in the same place as Datura when it comes to talking to people using text abbreviations. If they don’t have the courtesy to spend the time to write out full words and coherent sentences that I can understand, then I don’t have the time to reply.
I guess the “a lot of people” reference is based on my own experiences of people I know and I’ve talked to about these issues…I do believe there are still lots of ladies and gents out there, perhaps in the minority nowadays but they are still out there and infact many are on these very Forums!
I agree with you on putting some feelers out for the reaction levels of people - this can be a make or breaker sometimes - lucky for me my partner has the same twisted sense of humour as myself, as do most of my friends - but there are those times yes where I always go a bit too far and say something completely inappropriate - but that’s just typical Hazel really… In an online capacity atleast the text based version I can have those few moments to stop and think about what I’m actually typing - backspace and think, phew thank god for that - but that’s my online netiquette switch kicking on - being mannerly and conscious of others and their feelings…
Ooh Datura, I totally relate to the text abbreviations - I cannot stand this! I agree with the laziness factor - what effort is it to type 2 more characters! I refuse to reply back to messages of that nature, when I get a call as to why I didn’t reply I say I don’t do gibberish, if someone is going to text me atleast give me the courtesy of speaking to me properly! Definitely another of my pet peeves also! :agree:
Maybe it’s because I’m Irish I don’t know…I do tend to swear alot - I do agree that it is down to self control and discipline to stop, I guess I was reared very differently to most. I know here, it’s considered the norm to swear alot but that doesn’t mean you should of course - I try to control it as best I can but when I’m frustrated about something it just comes out :x usually I go for the Gaelic version of the words which sounds less harsh but yes it isn’t very nice really!
I think that I am pretty good at this. I try to be polite and stretch my patience. Sometimes I get annoyed but hold back, take a breath and then answer in a restrained way. If it gets too much I just ignore.
What really gets to me are those texting abbreviations. I will not answer or help people like that. It smacks of laziness to me.
Also, if people swear a lot or use foul language I lose my respect for them no matter how great the knowledge is that they have, it is a sign of uncontrolled anger and disrespect for themselves.
When it comes to chatting online I tend to favour those who spell out their words correctly rather than using “net lingo abbreviations/acronyms/initialisms” - these drive me mad! Again, an unwritten rule but I think alot of people prefer to read something that is coherent and phrased using the correct grammar! jumps off soapbox :x
unless you happen to want to work with one of those stuck up types 
In an online capacity atleast the text based version I can have those few moments to stop and think about what I’m actually typing - backspace and think, phew thank god for that