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Netiquette Guidelines
Even though you are not face-to-face with classmates and instructors in online classes, the communication that takes place is still among real people. Just as courteous behavior is necessary in person, it is necessary online.
Here are a few guidelines to help you communicate effectively and respectfully in your online class:
- Write in a calm voice and avoid using all capital letters.
THIS IS YELLING IN ONLINE COMMUNICATION. - Use inoffensive language.
Cursing, racial slurs, and other types of language that would not be appropriate in an onsite class are also inappropriate online. - Avoid using humor and sarcasm.
Humor and sarcasm often rely on facial expressions, tone of voice, and cultural understanding to be effective. In written form, humor and sarcasm could be interpreted as offensive. - Contribute without dominating the discussion.
While it’s important to write thoughtful responses on the discussion board, writing too much is like talking too much in onsite classes. If you’re unsure about how much to write, ask your instructor. - Keep writing style formal.
Not all online instructors will penalize your grade because of a few grammatical errors. However, abbreviations and informal language should be avoided. “CU L8R” or “I’ll send it 2 U”. - Be forgiving. If someone states something that you find offensive, mention this directly to the instructor. Remember that the person contributing to the discussion is also new to this form of communication. What you find offensive may quite possibly have been unintended and can best be cleared up by the instructor.
- The recorder is on. Think carefully about the content of your message before contributing it. Once sent to the group, there is no taking it back. Also, although the grammar and spelling of a message typically are not graded, they do reflect on you, and your audience might not be able to decode misspelled words or poorly constructed sentences. It is a good practice to compose and check your comments in a word-processor before posting them.
- Test for clarity. Messages may often appear perfectly clear to you as you compose them, but turn out to be perfectly obtuse to your reader. One way to test for clarity is to read your message aloud to see if it flows smoothly. If you can read it to another person before posting it, even better.
