NETIQUETTE 
Tips and Tricks

Netiquette – defined as Internet or Network etiquette, the use of consideration and common courtesy in online communications.

The information to follow should be considered as a guideline for communications while accessing the Internet via Duckwood.Net, whether you are using the World Wide Web, sending electronic mail, or any of the other many functions that you may have a use for. Some of it may seem basic, but infringements may result in major problems for others or may be insulting to another user.

Be Considerate. Staying connected to the Internet when you are not using it is very inconsiderate and costly. Others customers share the same communications channels as you and are only hindered when connections are misused and abused. Sending or downloading very large files (in excess of 50 megabytes) should only be done when absolutely necessary. If you require connectivity time in excess of 270 hours per month please contact us regarding the benefits and cost effectiveness of a dedicated connection. Dial up connections that exceed 270 hours per month will be costly to you and degrade the performance for the other customers.

Be polite. As in all other aspects of life, treat others the way that you want to be treated. It is easy to forget that the written word has different effects on the recipient than a spoken word. In face-to-face communications and even in telephone conversations the recipient can hear the tone of your voice. If they can see you, they can take visual clues from your face and body to see if you intend humor or if you are trying to soften what sounds like a harsh sentence. They can also ask for explanations or clarifications to make sure they didn't misinterpret your words or intent. This is lost in text, and the immediacy of e-mail in particular might create many misperceptions in which a hastily written response comes across as insulting, short, and/or mean-spirited. In the non-professional environment, the use of "emoticons" (explanation provided below) may be used to convey emotion and intent.

Be universal. One of the advantages of the Internet is the ability to communicate with individuals from around the world. Other users may have different Web browsers, online services, e-mail programs, schedules, hardware, and software

Be brief where appropriate. Sending large files and extensive correspondence is generally frowned upon in the ‘Internet World’ unless requested. Not only does this slow your progress but hinders the recipient from their tasks and could result in the degradation or loss of service.

Respect the privacy of others. Be frugal in adding others to a list for mass mailings. Never sell or give other individual’s e-mail address without permission to anyone else that will use it for e-mail promotion or advertising. Of course, if you are in an office with other workers, do not read their electronic mail unless given permission to do so. Different offices will have different rules governing the use of electronic mail. If you are accessing the Internet or electronic mail in a business environment be sure to follow the rules of the company.

Don't flame. Flaming occurs when people criticize a user via electronic mail (or in forums) in a mean-spirited fashion for an infringement of rules or ideas. It is counter-productive, so don't flame others, and if you are flamed, don't respond. Flaming is a useless activity that cost time, money, and telecommunications resources (bandwidth). If you are flamed in a forum or chat room, you may contact the system's administrator and file a complaint. If you receive derogatory electronic mail, you may do one of two things: simply delete it or ignore the tone and respond to the sender's actual points, but in a constructive tone.

Know where you are. What is appropriate in a chat room – discussions of the latest Hollywood gossip, for example -- is inappropriate in a business discussion group. Leave gossip and innuendo out of business communications. Not only could you land yourself in legal trouble, you could easily insult people you might want to do business with.

Identify yourself. Never send an electronic mail without including your name and contact information at the bottom of the electronic mail. Similarly, don't post forum messages without identifying yourself.

Remember to SPELL check your messages. Most email clients have an automated spell checker that is very helpful and easy to use.

If you forward email, consider whether it is important the previous conversation(s) are important to them. If the previous conversation(s) are important leave them in as a ‘threaded conversation’. A threaded conversation is one in which the history of the previous discussions is valuable. If the previous conversation(s) are not of value to the recipient delete that portion of the e-mail or start a new email message. This saves on time and other resources. Also, please delete the list of previous recipients unless there is a sincere need to pass this information on.

E-Mail will allow you to specify a subject. Make sure the subject is brief and descriptive. Generic e-mail headers like "hello" or "hi" are not descriptive enough to be meaningful and are not very helpful in the management of the recipient’s inbox.

Because the recipient does not see your expressions and mannerisms your emotions and sense of humor may be misunderstood. If you want to express emotions in your e-mail, then mark the appropriate sentences or paragraphs using emoticons (aka smiley) like :-) :-( ;-) or similar. Just for fun we have included a list of commonly and not-so-commonly used emoticons.