Netiquette is a portmanteau of "Network Etiquette". Posting on an email, forum, or even blogs should have limitations. People should put a lot of consideration in every word they type in.
On one of my e-groups, I purposely send a list of House Rules to everyone every month. It is good to be reminded sometimes I say. I kind-of lost the link where I got it but I remember copying it from a site with "EMAIL ETIQUETTE AND 'NETIQUETTE'" on its subject. And here are the House Rules (Attn: Moderators out there, this list will come in handy):
STARTING A NEW TOPIC- USE SUBJECT LINES CAREFULLY.
How much time have you wasted reading emails with a misleading subject line? Make the "Subject" section of the header as concise and descriptive as possible. Properly titled messages help people organize and prioritize their email, and allows those who are not interested in a topic to delete messages without having to read them. - INTRODUCE A NEW SUBJECT WITH A NEW MESSAGE.
Do not start a new topic using the reply button. If you reply to a message to start a new topic, it may be ignored by those not following that thread; you may not get the answers your questions deserve; and those whose mail programs allow threading will become annoyed. - OFF-TOPICS.
Off-topic posts are not strictly disallowed but should be kept to a minimum. Sometimes they help ease a stressful time. Please precede your Subject line with "OT" (for Off-Topic"), to alert other readers. Off-topic messages should not contain subjects inappropriate for the list, as per list rules.
REPLYING TO AN EXISTING EMAIL
- TRIM YOUR REPLIES TO A MESSAGE.
Quote only relevant portions of the original post. Edit your replies to include enough of the original message to give other readers the context for your message. - THINK TWICE BEFORE SENDING ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE MISUNDERSTOOD.
Without the voice inflections and body language of personal communications, it is easy to misinterpret a remark. Don't respond in anger.
WHAT NOT TO POST - DON'T POST FLAMES.
"Flames" are messages meant to insult another person, often because the writer thinks he or she is "right." Don't legitimize a flame by responding to it. Silence is the most effective method of letting an author know that his or her words were not appreciated. If you really feel a need to respond, do so by private email instead of through the list. Before replying, though, go to do an errand first, so you can calm down, then reply constructively instead of angrily.
If a post breaks these guidelines, give the owner/moderator a reasonable chance to address the issue. If the issue is not addressed, send a private email to the owner/moderator.
- DO NOT FORWARD PERSONAL EMAIL.
Never post (in whole or in part) personal email that you have received and forward it to the list. That is considered extremely rude. Keep private email private, just as you would wish others to do for you—unless of course, you have permission from that person.
- DO NOT POST ADVERTISEMENTS.
Product advertising is not allowed. If you own it or make a profit from it, please don't try to sell it on the list.
THE PEOPLE ON THE LIST
- REMEMBER THAT THE PERSON ON THE OTHER SIDE IS A HUMAN BEING.
Because your interaction with the network is through a computer, it is easy to forget that there are people "out there." Situations can easily arise where emotions erupt and feelings are hurt. Don't say anything to others that you would not say in person in a room full of people. - YOUR POSTINGS REFLECT UPON YOU; BE PROUD OF THEM.
Most people will know you only by what you say and how well you say it. Take some time to make sure each posting will not embarrass you later. Minimize spelling errors and make sure that your messages are easy to read and understand. - BE CAREFUL WHEN USING HUMOR AND SARCASM.
Without the voice inflections and body language of personal communications, it is easy to misinterpret a remark that was meant to be funny. Subtle humor tends to get lost, so take steps to make sure that people realize you are trying to be funny. Emoticons, or symbols that represent emotions such as smiles :-) are often used on the Internet. Sarcasm is usually inappropriate. - BE FORGIVING OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES.
Everyone was a newbie once. So when someone makes a mistake try to be kind about it. If it's a minor error, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else. - BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT OTHERS.
Please remember that your posts can travel quite far. You do not necessarily have control as to where your posts can end up. Information broadcast on the Internet can come back to haunt you or the person you are talking about.
BEFORE YOU SEND Think twice before sending anything that might be misunderstood. Without the voice inflections and body language of personal communications, it is easy to misinterpret a remark. Don't respond in anger. Email etiquette is not complicated and makes everyone's experience within a mailing list group more pleasant and more productive. If you ever find one of your emails is moderated for breaking one of the list guidelines or straying from the rules of netiquette, please don't take it personally. Nobody is perfect and we sometimes forget the rules. The moderators will usually send friendly reminders to list members when a rule has been broken. Please take it as such... a friendly reminder.
If you want further reading on this, here is a good link from Griffith University - Email Etiquette (Netiquette).
One basic house rule: THINK BEFORE YOU POST.
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