I became involved with the Internet community when I was fourteen and though I use what I have always believed to be common sense, misunderstandings and problems still happen. I don't believe I have asked this before because I did not feel that I needed to; if I am operating on any misinformation, it is never too late to ask. I'm asking, what are the guidelines for proper Internet etiquette?

I especially want to hear from the moderators.

Jeanette Isabelle

"Netiquette" has been an issue since the dawn of the arpanet, and probably before. A search on "Netiquette" will help.

Just write as though the other party is in the room conversing with you directly. If necessary, pretend they are well-armed to motivate your self-restraint...

The way I understand it is
no politics,
no conspiracy theories,
no cussing,
no deliberate lying,
no spamming,
no posting other peoples articles, respect copyright.
It seems pretty basic.

Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle

Oh, you mean NO FUN...

I was going to make a joke, but instead I'll say this - What strikes me most about this forum is that people are generally kind. It's such a simple thing, but in addition to all of the technical info sprinkled with a little humor, that's one of the reasons I enjoy this place. There's also very little b.s., and that's nice, too.

In 25 years of using the arpanet/Internet, that's the first time I've ever seen "copyright" in a description of "Netiquette". Priority, attribution etc, yes, but never copyright.

The "Dear Emily Postnews" columns were well done but apply more to the usenet era than message boards.

Perhaps the biggest thing is to remember that for many or most readers English is not their primary language and that's not always immediately obvious. And subtle pop references are often pointless to readers who didn't grow up immersed in American TV culture.

We could avoid a lot of the arguments on this site if people simply checked their facts before attacking a poster for saying something they don't agree with. It's called google. And if you are wrong; simply admit it. We all make mistakes.
Too often people simply invent facts and reply to corrections with abuse.
And read what people actually wrote, rather than what you have decided they wrote. You don't have to look far here to see people responding angrily to words in a post, that they have invented themselves
And be very careful using irony. There's no tone of voice here. What might be meant as a gentle comment can be interpreted as down right rude.
The Sock

J'amène un flambeau comme un élément de mon EDC.

I bring a torch as part of my EDC.

Jeanette Isabelle

Oh, if only more people were so concerned with etiquette!

There are probably a lot of people, especially younger folks, who have always participated in online or wireless communications, who think that there's a real difference between face-to-face etiquette and online etiquette. Unfortunately, many of these same kids find to their dismay that this doesn't fly in the real world, like answering a text message during a job interview and wondering why they didn't get the job. *sigh*

Here's a different angle to the question. You mentioned misunderstandings. Unfortunately, no matter how considerate you are and how well you adhere to any set of rules, there are just a lot of people out there who do not understand what the word "discussion" means. Any sort of opinion that doesn't jive with their own is taken as a personal attack, and therefore they get angry and start making personal attacks back. I've seen that too many times to count. Just look at what passes for "discussion" on TV news these days, like on Fox News, where shouting down or denigrating the other speaker is equated with a "successful" appearance. (Why is Fox News often the only news they show at my gym in the evenings?!)

I'm sure these talking heads understand what's going on, but to the impressionable public, they gradually think this is the norm in terms of how adults should interact. Just look at these town hall meetings over health care reform. Obviously, we only see the most over the top comments on TV, but still, it's the verbal equivalent of a beat down or covering your ears and yelling, "La-la-la, I'm not listening to you~!"

Sorry, that's probably not particularly helpful to you. But it's unfortunate that often the problem is really with the other person.

Actually, it may help us give more specific advice if you could clarify what kinds of situations have been giving you problems, Jeanette. Disagreements turning into personal attacks is just one problem. Jokes taken the wrong way are another. Dealing with unprovoked harassment is another.

Personally, I think that there are few Internet-specific rules, or Netiquette. Things like not typing in all caps and such, not hotlinking to images from other sites, etc. Most Netiquette is simply an extension of real world etiquette and norms--or should be.

There are several things often overlooked.

If you disagree, attack the argument, not the poster. Ad hominem attacks make you look bad. Argue facts, don't call the other poster stoopid.

Caps is yelling. More than 1 exclamation pt and underlining for emphasis is annoying. Bolding is less annoying. Excessive use of "leet" language makes you look silly - if you can't type in "real" english, give the rest of us a break. However, don't make fun of ESL people, imagine it was you trying to type into their native language.

And stuff that makes me crazy - Cellphones - unless it's life or death, they should be off when driving, when in the checkout line, and at movies. Yes, I was the guy who actually took a cellphone out of a guy's hand and turned it off so he could hear the cashier. I was nice enuf to say "He'll call you back later" before the phone was disconected. And he called me rude - while the rest of the line cheered. Never texted, probably won't, but answer them on your time, not mine. I complain about cashiers on cells when I am checking out, if you hate your job, have the guts to quit; don't make them fire you.

Btw, I don't currently own a cell phone. Wife does tho.