Literature Review

Netiquette
The Internet was created in 1969 by the Department of Defense (Donaton, 1994). It has served as a world wide network of computers and databases that are used for government, research and academia (Donaton, 1994). Currently there are anywhere from ten million to thirty million users on the internet (Donaton, 1994). In using the internet several people have developed a sort of internet etiquette in order to help new and current users keep it a professional and friendly place. Netiquette is defined as “appropriate behavior on a computer network” (Algeo & Algeo, 1994). The term netiquette is a catch-all for the forms of politeness and respect seen on Usenet, in mailing lists, in live chat systems, and on other electronic forums (Netiquette, 2002). It can also be defined as the rules of acceptable behavior when using any form of electronic communication (Sullivan, 2002). The following are the most common netiquette rules. These rules are mainly common sense, but should be reviewed often so that users of the internet can continue to create an environment where people can work and learn cooperatively.
Remember the human
This means to always remember that you are not talking to just another computer. There is a person behind the screen who has feelings just like you. Users need to take into account that the people they are communicating with can not see or hear their gestures, expressions, or tones making your words the only way to communicate meaning (Shea, 1994). This is important because some topics are harder than others to communicate using only words. Some things can be taken out of context and misunderstood creating a lot more work for the communicator. The most important part of remembering the human is to always remember you are talking to someone who has feelings and rights that need to be respected and treated as if you were dealing with them face to face (2002). Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
While some individuals feel that the internet gives them some ambiguity and that they can get away with more things on the internet, users should always use caution and ethics in their dealings. Ethics on the internet are referred to as nethics (2002). One reason for individuals lack of standards or ethics on the internet may be because they forget they are dealing with real people due to the screen in front of them(Shea, 1994). Some basic “commandments” when it comes to using ethics on the internet are below:
Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files.
Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid.
Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization.
Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write.
Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect. (2002).
These are very basic and very easy guidelines to follow and if followed users should have no problem staying out of trouble on the internet.


Know where you are in cyberspace
Knowing where you are on the internet means knowing what kind of a chat room or web site you are on. Each area of the internet has its own set of rules, values, and standards. It is important to remember that what may be allowed or accepted on one site may be found offensive or rude on another site (Shea, 1994). Another similarity to real life would be that each group page has its own acceptable tone that users are expected to use when operating with those people (2002). A pair of attorneys I found in one of the articles provided the perfect example for this. They sent out advertisements all over the internet and did not receive a very positive response because they sent the ad everywhere (Donaton, 1994). The pair quickly learned that there are places on the internet to advertise and other places where you should not (Donaton, 1994).
Respect other people's time and bandwidth
The first question you may have is what is bandwidth? The answer is bandwidth is “the information carrying capacity of the cables and wires that connect computers together” (2002). It is how much your computer can process at one time. Some computers have a higher bandwidth than others and therefore can process faster than others, while some computers get overloaded with information very quickly. It is important that users do not seed out too much information to other users because you never know what size their bandwidth is. One major error is sending out junk mail. The attorneys I mentioned earlier learned this when they sent out their advertisement because they sent out unmarked messages to users which on the internet are the same as junk mail (Donaton, 1994).
Make yourself look good online
This rule ties into the rule about remembering the human. Users judge other users by how well they write because they can not connect with the actual person (Shea, 1994). While your friends probably won’t consider you uneducated if you send them an email with a few spelling errors someone else might (2002). Another thing to remember is that the information on the internet can be found by anyone and if you are working on a school or work project you are not only representing yourself but also your school, organization, or business so you want to make sure you do a good job and use the best information available (2002).
Share expert knowledge
A great place to share and find information are forums set up specifically for this, like on www.webmd.com where individuals can ask doctors and other individuals with the same issues. Asking questions online is effective because may other internet users are knowledgeable on your topic and can help you as well as others with the same question (Shea, 1994). If you are going to answer another users question make sure the information you are giving is accurate (2002). If you do not know the answer for sure either look up an answer from somewhere you know you will find correct information or do not answer it (2002).
Help keep flame wars under control
When users express their emotions to other users with out holding back it is referred to as "Flaming" (Shea, 1994). When sending a flame message the user may attack your opinion, personality, and any other personal thing they find about you whether you deserve it or not (2002). The best thing to do to keep flame wars under control is to not respond when others send you a flame message and try to refrain from sending any yourself. Personal attacks will not solve any problems. Keep in mind that other people can read your messages so you need to be professional in order to help yourself in the present and future.
Respect other people's privacy
How would you feel if someone opened your mail before you got home? The same feelings apply to email. While it may be hard to tell if someone has opened an email before you it can make users feel violated if they do find out (2002). Think of all of the personal information transferred through email and consider how you would feel if someone was looking at your emails with out your permission. This rule ties into the ethics users need to have on the internet.
Don't abuse your power
While some individuals are quite computer savvy, there are still some who are not quite up to par on knowing what is going on in the internet world. Just because you may know more than others about the internet, giving you power over them, does not give you the right to exploit them (Shea, 1994). A more productive thing to do would be to help educate them, going back to our rule on sharing expert knowledge. The more people know about the internet the quicker it can evolve into bigger and better things.
Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
The most important thing to remember no matter where you are is that everyone makes mistakes. Think of a time when you make a mistake. How would you prefer someone help you correct your mistake? Going back to treating people like they have feelings and not like they are just another computer, if another user makes a mistake it should not be your goal to embarrass them about it in front of other users (Shea, 1994). Would you like someone to do that to you? The best way to point out another users mistake is privately, usually through email, so you don’t embarrass them (Shea, 1994).
Applying these rules to your internet use will help you be a professional and productive member of the internet society. Always remember the golden rule and apply it to everything whether in person or over some sort of media channel, treat people how you want to be treated.
References
(2002). Using the internet. Retrieved April 1, 2007, from SOFweb Web site:
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/internet/netiquet.htm
Algeo, J., & Algeo, A. (1994). Among the new words. American Speech. 69, 398-411.
Donaton, S. (1994).Ok to put ads on internet, but mind your netiquette. Advertising Age. 68, 60-62.
Netiquette. (2006). In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved April 1, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netiquette
Shea, V. (1994, Sept/Oct). Core rules of netiquette. Educom Review, 25, Retrieved April 1, 2007, from https://www.educause.edu/pub/er/review/reviewArticles/29558.html.
Sullivan, B. (2002).Netiquette. Computerworld. 36, 48.