Internet Etiquette

Technology is here to help us, to make our lives easier and simpler. But when used in the wrong ways and for the wrong purposes, it can quickly become a burden for all of us. In order to make the most of the incredible facilities made available to us without being a nuisance to others, a certain etiquette is to be respected. The term commonly used for this is "Netiquette", derived from the word Internet Etiquette.

Netiquette should be used in all areas of electronic means including e-mail, chat rooms, blogs, forums, message boards, and so on.

Please read the following Netiquette guidelines, tips and suggestions to have a pleasant and safe online experience.

Become a responsible Netizen!

When sending e-mails, chatting, posting on blogs or in forums

When we communicate electronically, all we see is a computer screen. We have to remember that there is a real person at the other end receiving our messages and that we need to use proper words and a proper tone. Very often the interposition of a machine makes our communications very impersonal so we tend to forget that our correspondent is a person with feelings.

Here are some points you have to pay attention to while communicating through the net:

• Do not use abusive language. You may hurt the person you are talking to and providers may block your account.
• Do not write in capital letters. It may look like you are shouting. You have to keep in mind that written words are very hard to interpret. That's why many people now use emoticons to avoid confusion.
• Be careful when sharing confidential information. Ensure that you are sharing the right content with the right user, that your e-mail is reaching the right person and that nobody will intercept it. If private information is posted in a group setting, read the guidelines prior to posting.
• Do not flame or send spams. Since you wouldn't like to be flamed or to receive spams, do not do it to others.
• Respect the privacy of others. Just like you would never go through the drawers of your colleague, you shouldn't read his e-mails.
• Don't abuse of power. In cyberspace, some people may have more power than others (experts or system administrators). This does not give you the right to take advantage of the situation. For example, system administrators should never read private e-mails of their colleagues.

When Surfing

• The golden rule when surfing is to know where you are going. If you are a newbie, you have to be very careful as you can rapidly find yourself on an undesired website (ex. pornographic websites, terrorism etc.).
• Do not break the law while surfing in cyberspace. Even if it is a virtual world, common laws are still applicable.
• Respect copyright. It is against the law to copy-paste a text found on the net. The writer may sue you for plagiarism. Internet is a significant tool for students and other people who have projects to submit. It is true that we find all the information that we need on the net but we have to be careful to use this information as reference and not just copy the work of someone else.

Kids Policy

Parents should pay attention to their kids when the latter use the Internet.

• Explain to them the dangers to which they are exposed when chatting, blogging or going on forums.
• Use child block software to have a better view on what your children are doing on the net. It is important also to have an eye on the chat rooms they go to. These should correspond to their age.
• Recommend your children never to use their real name. Prefer online names for more safety. You should also ask them never to reveal their address or their school and explain to their why it can be dangerous. They should also never accept a meeting with a stranger, even if the latter says he is a child.
• Control the games to which your children have access. Violent or rude games are not suitable for them.