CHAPTER ATTRIBUTION INFORMATIONThis chapter was created by Annemarie Hamlin, Chris Rubio, and Michele DeSilva, Central Oregon Community College from Communicating Online: Netiquette by UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology [License: CC: BY-SA 4.0] |
1.6 Netiquette: Guidelines for Online Postings
Guidelines for Online Postings
Following these guidelines for public writing can help you avoid embarrassment later:
Know your Context
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- Introduce yourself.
- Avoid assumptions about your readers. Remember that culture influences communication style and practices.
- Familiarize yourself with policies on Acceptable Use of IT Resources at your organization (for example, see Central Oregon’s acceptable use policy).
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Remember the human
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- Remember there is a person behind the words. Ask for clarification before making judgement.
- Check your tone before you publish.
- Respond to people using their names.
- Remember that culture and even gender can play a part in how people communicate.
- Remain authentic and expect the same of others.
- Remember that people may not reply immediately. People participate in different ways, some just by reading the communication rather than jumping into it.
- Avoid jokes and sarcasm; they often don’t translate well to the online environment.
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Recognize that public writing is permanent
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- Be judicious. What you say online is difficult to retract later.
- Consider your responsibility to the group and to the working environment.
- Agree on ground rules for text communication (formal or informal; seek clarification whenever needed, etc) if you are working collaboratively.
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Avoid flaming by researching before reacting
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- Accept and forgive mistakes.
- Consider your responsibility to the group and to the working environment.
- Seek clarification before reacting.
- Ask your supervisor for guidance.*
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Respect privacy and original ideas
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- Quote the original author if you are responding to a specific point made by someone else.
- Ask the author of an email for permission before forwarding the communication.
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Additional Resources
- “Email Etiquette.” Purdue OWL.
- “Technical Communication Etiquette” by Theresa Pojuner, Managementhelp.org.