Internet etiquette or “netiquette” has been around since the mid-1980s – even before the World Wide Web exploded onto the scene when people were just using it for interoffice communications. Basically, it’s a set of social rules that have evolved over the years to help facilitate interaction between Internet users who communicate via emails, chat rooms, discussion forums, blogs, etc. As more and people spend a big part of their lives online, using good netiquette skills is more important than ever.

1.     Don’t use ALL CAPS. Understand the significance of lower and upper case letters. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN? Typing in all caps indicates that you are shouting at the reader. But when typed in lower case letters there is no hint of aggression in the message. Of course there are times where capital letters can be used to emphasize a concept. For example, “His cat was HUGE!” is perfectly acceptable.

2.     Use acronyms sparingly. With texting becoming more prevalent, abbreviations and acronyms in online messages are becoming more common. Standard ones such as LOL and FYI are generally understood by everyone. However, if they are uncommon or unfamiliar such as “thnx,” “ur,” and “pls,” people may wonder if you know how to type. If you habitually use some of these make sure to proofread your messages to ensure that no chat lingo has been included when sending out professional communications.

3.     Watch your “tone.”  Keep in mind that the recipient of your message cannot see your face or hear your tone of voice which sometimes results in miscommunications. If you are unsure how your remarks will be interpreted, you can insert emoticons (i.e., side wink ; ) or <g> for “grin”). However, it’s always safer to adopt a slightly more formal tone rather than risk possibly offending someone by accident.

4.     Identify the subject/topic. Studies show that more than 40 percent of recipients decide whether or not to open an email solely based on the subject line. To increase the chances of having your email opened you need to have an appropriate subject that is short and compelling. And just like the body of the email you should user proper spelling and punctuation – and not all caps. Also, be careful of using common terms abused by spammers so that your message isn’t inadvertently sent to the Trash folder by the recipient’s spam filter.

5.     Know who you are replying to. Using the “To”, “CC”, and “BCC” fields correctly also plays a large role in email netiquette. When responding to emails make sure you don’t accidentally click “reply all” unless you want everyone to see your response. Also, when addressing specific people in the message make sure you include those recipients in the ‘To’ field. Anyone that you’re not directly addressing should be moved to either the CC or BCC field.

While these guidelines don’t cover all of the rules of cyber communications, they do provide a basic overview of how to interconnect more effectively. Perhaps the number one rule when communicating online would be to address people the same way you would want them to address you – whether in person, through the contents of a letter, or behind a computer screen.

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Copyright 2009 Charlene Davis. All rights reserved. Links to articles on this site are welcome; however, articles may not be used, reproduced, or reprinted without permission.