What is netiquette?

Posted by Keshav Jain on



Netiquette is a combination of the words ‘Internet’ and ‘Etiquette’. It refers to the rules to be observed online. This applies to several aspects of the Internet such as email, social media, online chat, web comments, communication during gaming, and web forums among others. There is no official list of such rules. Hence, they can vary from community to community. However, there are certain rules that are followed uniformly by a majority of communities. These include.



Respect others’ privacy



Do not share others’ pictures, personal details or videos that they are not comfortable publishing online. Respect their right to privacy.



Watch your tongue



Do not let your personal problem with someone spill onto the virtual space. Try to amicably sort out issues instead of posting inflammatory or offensive comments. If you come across anyone indulging in it, report their profile immediately.



Think before you post



Whether it is an email or a post on social media, think twice before publishing it online. Your posts should not target anyone and should not hurt their sentiments. Remember that we are a culturally diverse world. So, be welcoming of people instead of posting things against a person or a community.



Think before reposting



So your friend has posted something about an issue and is requesting people to repost the same to spread the word. Like a good friend you might want to repost it, but don’t. It is the era of fake news and fake information in the virtual world. So, check the facts before you decide to repost anything that is spreading online.



Be a sport



When you play multiplayer games online with friends or stranger, do not say anything inflammatory. Similarly, if you lose a game, be a sport and accept your loss gracefully. So not indulge in profanity.



No ALL CAPS, please



This is an accepted behaviour almost everywhere – you do not use ALL CAPS in a mail, chat comments or any other form of communication online. When you use all caps, it is considered that you are shouting or yelling at the person at the other end.



Don’t spam others



Do not repeatedly send mails or chat messages to people if they are not responding on time, wait it out. Similarly, refrain from forwarding unnecessary WhatsApp messages. It is impolite to spam people in any way.



 



Picture Credit : Google