Netiquette?

What is Netiquette?

Wikipedia says:

Netiquette (short for “Network etiquette” or “Internet etiquette”) is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from Usenet and mailing lists to blogs and forums.

Webopedia gives us another interesting definition of Netiquette:

Contraction of Internet etiquette, the etiquette guidelines for posting messages to online services, and particularly Internet newsgroups. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions (i.e., avoiding flames), but also special guidelines unique to the electronic nature of forum messages.

WiseGEEK is even more helpful:

“Netiquette”, a condensation of the words “network” and “etiquette”, is the term commonly used to refer to conventions adopted by Internet users on the web, mailing lists, public forums, and in live chat. By being aware of these conventions you can ensure that your interactions online stay positive, friendly, and informative.

Why Should You Use Netiquette?

That’s simple. Nowadays, we spend a lot of time browsing the Internet, connecting with other people and communicating with the world. Just as we don’t like to make faux pas in real life, stumbling is the last thing that we want to do online.

Learning  to behave politely when using the Internet is important, if not essential, to mantain a healthy reputation and not to transform your interactions online in a virtual hell.

Remember: even if you are in front of a computer, you have to consider the human factor. You are human, the people you are connecting to are human as well. It is, of course, a virtual world, but it’s composed by people and it has to be ruled by social conventions.

Nice to Meet You, Netiquette!

Now that you know what is Netiquette, I encourage you to explore Netetique and learn about the principal rules of Netiquette, not to mention all the little tips you should know to survive in the jungle of the Web.

Have fun and don’t get lost!