It’s hard enough being a nice person in real life. Social conventions are constantly evolving, making clear and courteous communication a challenge. Take your conversation online however, and the level of difficulty goes up a notch because of differences in real time, physical proximity and lack of visual aids. Nanzinc.Com gives you a basic guide to netiquette and how to prevent misunderstandings with online communication.
By: Dorothea Chow
As author Virginia Shea puts it in her book “Netiquette”, we may forget that even though all online communication is electronic, the end-point receiver of our communication is still a human, just like you and me. ‘Remember the Human’, she says. In the end, we are all real people with real feelings.
Online communication (video conferences like Skype aside) takes away a lot of the usual elements of a face-to-face talk, such as verbal cues, emotions and gestures. So words can sometimes be misinterpreted, intentions misunderstood, and feelings hurt in the process. So be mindful of this in what you type and how you phrase things, and you’ll be a better online communicator for it.
Common Abbreviations vs. Professional Jargon
We’re so attuned to our phones and PDAs these days, that common abbreviations like BTW (by the way), STH (something), LOL (laugh out loud) and TTYL (talk to you later) have become a mainstay in our communication lingo and often creep into our emails.
However it’s good to remember who you are communicating to, because these abbreviations are simply not appropriate for certain contexts and recipients, for example if you’re sending an email to your boss or potential client. Be mindful of who the recipient is, and show respect in your choice of jargon accordingly.
Objective vs. Emotional Language
“Flaming” is when a person expresses a strong opinion very directly and with great emotion. While self-expression is easier to do online, too much ‘flaming’ is not good for any relationship, and can result in ‘flame wars’. As human beings, we tend to react to how we are communicated to, even in electronic situations.
When you’re enraged or in a foul mood, or reacting to an unfair statement, it’s probably a good practice to hold off a while on sending out that email. You might find yourself TYPING AN ANGSTY EMAIL IN CAPS, which might amplify the whole situation.
Take time to carefully craft your message so as to be a bit more objective before you hit the “Send” button. You’ll run less risk of intensifying a conflict or creating one. In fact, if you’re unhappy with someone or the way something has been done, often the best way to communicate is still face-to-face. Seek to clarify, not tear down.
Transparency vs. Anonymity
There is wisdom is not airing your dirty laundry in public, as your mama must have told you once. Having your life as an open book online by revealing deep dark secrets, contact information and all, is probably not a good idea for obvious reasons.
But neither is creating a false identity because of the guise of anonymity readily available online. Whether it’s on Facebook, MSN, or on various forums, it’s definitely bad netiquette, and even dangerous, to pretend to be someone you’re not, by posting misleading information or pictures of yourself. How would you like it if someone else did that to you?
And there’s only so long you can live a lie anyway – the truth is bound to come to light, sooner or later.
Accredit Your Source
It’s so easy to copy and paste pictures and text we find online into our personal emails, blogs and websites, but a good Netizen always gives recognition when it’s due. Credit your sources at all times, and never try to pass off someone else’s work or ideas as your own.
This is especially tricky when it comes to professional design and artwork, because it’s often subjective to determine what is an appropriate interpretation of a piece. To be on the safe side, always cite your source of inspiration, if still in doubt, ask the original author or artist for permission to post their piece and/or your version.
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