The Internet has found its way into every person’s daily life and though it may be extremely beneficial most of the time, on other times, it can be quite the opposite.
Because you’re not actually interacting physically with others, many people tend to forget that their actions online can have just as much or maybe even more effect to a person even without the physical interaction. In fact, more than a handful of suicide cases had been due to cyber-bullying and those responsible would say that they didn’t think it had already affected the person that much. There are still rules that you must follow in order to achieve smooth online relationships. Here are some of the proper internet etiquettes you should be following.
1. Don’t type in all capital letters
Especially if you’re ranting, don’t type in all capital letters. People will consider this as shouting and it can be incredibly rude. Even if you’re simply sharing something ordinary online, typing it in all caps would mean you’re just trying to get attention.
2. Know your internet acronyms
Many people use a lot of acronyms especially during informal conversations. Acronyms are phrases that are shortened into a series of letters in order to save time and hassle from typing. Since there are so many acronyms nowadays, it’s difficult to keep track of all of them. You should at least know the meaning of the common internet acronyms in order to avoid misunderstanding. Here are some of them:
• LOL – Laughing out loud
• JK – Just kidding
• ROTFL – Rolling on the floor laughing
• TTYL – Talk to you later
• B4N – Bye for now
• B/C – Because
• AYOR – At your own risk
• TBH – To be honest
When in doubt, you can always consult Google. Or better yet, ask the person what it means before jumping to conclusions.
3. Don’t gossip
Once a story starts on the internet, it can spread like wildfire. People continue sharing posts or talk about it even though the news is not confirmed or involves intrusion of privacy. And even if it is true, that’s not a reason to spread gossip most especially if it doesn’t concern public welfare.
4. Avoid sarcasm
Try to avoid sarcasm when you leave a comment or send a message. If you do not personally know the person you are talking to, it’s very easy to misinterpret sarcasm. After all, sarcasm is all about the tone of voice and that’s not something people can hear through the screen.
5. Keep posts and messages brief
When typing an inquiry or a reply, it’s easy to lose control and type too much or stray off topic. Typing too much beats one of the main purposes of the internet which is to save time. Most people are not interested to waste time reading something longer than it should be. Keep your posts and messages as brief as possible, including only the necessary information.
6. Don’t plagiarize works
Articles, posts, journals, and more are readily available on the internet. Similarly, it’s very easy to just copy and paste them directly onto your file. Know that people have worked hard to write those so taking credit for their work is not a nice thing to do. Site your sources and give the credit to the original authors if you need their work. You should also know the right way to quote authors.
7. Don’t spam
One of the most annoying internet users are the spammers. They post, contribute, and spread worthless information on the internet that are irrelevant to people’s needs by sending chain mails, posting comments, spreading rumors, etc.
8. Mind your language
It’s very rude to use inappropriate words online. Young users may also see and then start using the same kind of language as well so they don’t feel threatened. Also, mind your grammar and spelling as it may lead to misunderstanding or rude comments.
9. Be nice
Simply put, be nice. Always keep in mind that there are people on the other side of the screen, reading whatever you wrote. Although it’s hard to believe, even words can have a huge impact on other people. Respect other people and don’t be rude.
