User:Denice28brianne/sandbox

 NETIQUETTE 

Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. Netiquette is derived from the word "etiquette" which refers to the general rules or conventions of correct and polite behavior in social settings and situations. Thus, it is the practice of polite and considerate behavior in online contexts.

The Core Rules of Netiquette

1. Remember the Human – When communicating electronically, whether through email, facebook, and or some other method, always remember that the person reading your mail or posting is, indeed, a person, with feelings that can be hurt. Yes, use your network connections to express yourself freely, explore strange new worlds, and boldly go where you've never gone before. But never forget, those are real people out there.

2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life – While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly should not be lower. You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Standards of behavior may be different in some areas of cyberspace, but they are not lower than in real life.

3. Know where you are in cyberspace – Netiquette varies from domain to domain. Depending on where you are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable in one area, where it might be considered inappropriate in another. What you text to your Mom may be inappropriate in an email to your Boss.

4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth – Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous text, graphics or attachments that may take forever to download.

5. Make yourself look good online – One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical appearance, sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind:

Always check for spelling and grammar errors

Know what you're talking about and state it clearly

Be pleasant and polite

6. Share expert knowledge – The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the ease in which information can be shared or accessed and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one of the reasons the Internet was founded. Share your expanded knowledge about a subject that might be of interest to others. When you post a question and receive intelligent answers, share the results with others.

7. Help keep flame wars under control – "Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion." As an example, think of the kinds of comments you might read on a sports blog. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one another, must be controlled. Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

8. Respect other people's privacy – Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled with care. Perhaps someone is sharing some medical news about a loved one or discussing a situation at work. What do you think would happen if this information "got into the wrong hands?" Embarrassment? Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others.

9. Don't abuse your power – Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them.

10. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes – When someone makes a mistake -- whether it's a spelling error, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer -- 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. Practice kindness and forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if you had committed the same offense. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else.

Netiquette and Social Media

Here are some guidelines that you must and you must not do on social networking sites:

1. Brands should provide clear social media guidelines - The social media and community managers who run brand accounts have to walk a fine line between knowing and protecting the brand, and being friendly, approachable and open with the community they manage. They can’t do this unless they have clear guidance, and know their own authority.

2. Rapid Response - People of all ages know that they can contact a brand’s Facebook or Twitter account and get an issue swiftly resolved without needing to write in, or spend ages on hold. It’s got the added bonus of being a public platform, so the brand’s response can be seen for all to judge. The things is, people expect rapid response and resolution when they contact brands on social media, so the people running the brand’s accounts need to be able to respond and resolve issues fast.

3. Let people be people - This is a risky approach. People can be warm, engaging, friendly and funny, but they can also lose their tempers, get sarcastic, and misjudge situations. This is why many brands prefer to drench their accounts in approved language. Other brands realise that you get the best results on social media by letting people be people. Think of tone as the body language of social media. I can’t see you, I don’t know if we’re forming a connection, so replying to me in a similar tone – whether it be jocular or serious – and in your own voice, helps bridge that gap.

4. Listen - Not responding to a customer complaint is bad enough, but misreading messages, or using automated tools and getting the meaning of the message very wrong is a major faux pas. People expect just as high a level of customer service online as they expect in store.

5. Don’t engage in arguments - This is where you have to balance letting people be people, with knowing your audience, and using some common sense. Not everyone will appreciate a snappy retort to a sarcastic post.

6. Don't just use social as a selling tool – use it as a social tool to connect - While some brands are selling from social media, most are simply promoting. Yet the primary function of social media is communication between people – conversation. Brands that never reply to tweets, retweet or favorite what others say, look aloof and out of touch.

7. Respect the community - Community members are passionate about their community, and often experts in the brands product. Brands need to respect this knowledge and develop good relationships within branded communities, and with external fan communities. Social media sites were created to connect people to other people; to allow them to communicate over vast distances quickly and easily. Don’t just use them to showcase how awesome you are. Use them to build relationships.

References:

http://www.techipedia.com/2008/social-media-etiquette-handbook/

http://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=10214&p=52001