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

      • 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).

Remember the human

      • 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.

Recognize that public writing is permanent

      • 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.

Avoid flaming by researching before reacting

      • Accept and forgive mistakes.
      • Consider your responsibility to the group and to the working environment.
      • Seek clarification before reacting.
      • Ask your supervisor for guidance.*

Respect privacy and original ideas

      • 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.

 

Additional Resources

 

 

CHAPTER ATTRIBUTION
Annemarie Hamlin, Chris Rubio, and Michele DeSilva. "1.3 Netiquette." Technical Writing. [License: CC: BY-SA 4.0]

License

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1.6 Netiquette: Guidelines for Online Postings Copyright © 2023 by Will Fleming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.