Netiquette

Etiquette, similar to manners, is the social behavior that is expected of us by society. As a person talking loudly on a bus will be frowned upon, your actions that would confuse, offend, or hurt the feelings of other people around you is considered bad etiquette.

On the Web, we follow a code of conduct to respect others and to be clearly understood called netiquette (Internet + etiquette). Unlike face-to-face interactions, what people do over the Internet is permanent and, once posted on the Web or sent through email, can be spread widely. By learning good netiquette, you will be in a better position to boost your image and protect your reputation offline, as well as online.

Netiquette can be divided into three main categories: one-to-one, one-to-many and information services (IETF RFC 1855 , October 1995). The guidelines below focus on email in the office in the one-to-one and one-to-many categories.

One-to-One

One-to-one refers to communication through tools such as chatting, posting to someone’s personal Web site, sending or replying to email.

For one-to-one email, some simple guidelines should be followed:

• Take care to use adequate spacing to compose an easy-to-read email messages. Always include blank lines between paragraphs. A long paragraph is difficult to read and might lose the interest of the reader.
• Use correct punctuation and capitalization. The use of all small case letters implies laziness and makes the text seem unimportant. The use of all capital letters can be interpreted as shouting and is considered rude.
• Do not expect replies to your emails right away. You do not know how often the other person checks email or what other responsibilities they have. You need to give the recipient a day or two for the reply.
• Always be considerate to the feelings of the person at the opposite end, and keep in mind different ideologies, diverse faiths and varying levels of humor. Avoid sarcasm about these sensitive topics. A good rule of thumb: "Be conservative in what you write, and liberal in what you read."
• Carefully forward emails. If you do not know who the original sender was or whether it is acceptable to forward the email, then do not do it.
• Never send something that might reflect badly upon you or your employer as you will be held responsible. Remember that anything you communicate electronically can be easily forwarded to other people, shared on other people's blogs, and circulated for a very long time.
• If you are angered or upset by something you read in an email, wait overnight before replying. In your emotional state, you might send a reply that you will later regret. Waiting a day before replying will help you to be in a calmer state of mind, so you will be thinking rationally.
• If you mistakenly send an email to the wrong person, send an apology. If you had revealed private or sensitive information in the email, take precautions by asking the recipient to delete the email, either by calling or sending the request in another email.

One-to-Many

One-to-many applies to emails that are sent to multiple recipients, and all the rules of one-to-one apply. Risks increase during one-to-many interactions because you can offend everyone with just one message. Here are a few other guidelines:

• Subject lines should accurately reflect the content of a post and should follow the conventions of the group.
• It is often helpful for readers if you summarize a previous communication when you are replying to a message.
• Keep the messages short and sweet. Few people have the time or patience to read long messages thoroughly.
• Know who you need to copy and blind copy, or Cc and Bcc, to in your emails. Copying people who are only remotely related to an issue is not respectful of their time.
• The "Reply to All" button should be used with care. If a common post is sent to everyone in the office, replying to everyone with a quirky comment, a question only of your interest, or extra details can be inappropriate or simply annoying. Replying only to the sender is sometimes best.
• You, not the group or your organization, are responsible for any comments that are made by you, and you cannot hold the group responsible for comments made by other individuals.

Netiquette provides guidelines for everyone who uses the Internet and defines the minimum expectations of behavior by all organizations and people. By learning and following a few netiquette basics for email, users will communicate clearly and be more successful with their interactions with others online.

References

• Avoiding Tricky Email Situations  (BNET)
• Network Working Group