The Basics of Internet Etiquettes you need to know
Even using the internet has ethics that you need to follow to be a decent human being on the internet. These etiquettes are by norm called “Netiquettes” online and everyone should be aware of them. Therefore, children must be given knowledge of what netiquettes are so that they can practice them and become better citizens on the internet. While certain companies make sure their internet is secure, such as Xfinity wifi, it is also up to the customer to make sure that they are using the internet safely, protecting themselves and others in the community.
These are some of how you should be making sure you are following the netiquette requirement on the internet.
Remember that the other person is Human
What you need to keep in mind is the fact that other people on the internet are just as human as you are. You need to make sure you are friendly and respectful when you are interacting with other people on the internet and you should not say anything that would hurt the other person’s sentiments. You should also ensure that you do not say anything that you would not want to hear.
If the other person keeps track and recording of whatever you say to people, it could later be used as evidence against you and in certain cases, legal action could be taken against you in terms of bullying and cybercrime. Usually, the apps that you use might be recording whatever interactions you are having with people.
Be as ethical as you can
You should also make sure you are ethically using the internet. While in person, we are sure to abide by the rules and laws but we tend to forget that while we are using the internet. If you illegally stream movies on third-party websites, illegally download music, and are involved in copyright infringement, then you would be breaking the law. It could be viewed as the same as stealing something from someone, which you wouldn’t do in person. If you stream things illegally, it is unfair to the artists since they do not make anything out of it. Just make sure whatever you do is ethical and no one is deprived of their right.
Be aware of the place you are in
Always remember that different websites have different rules and netiquettes. An example of this is that you would behave differently if you were on a social media website such as Facebook or Instagram and you would behave differently if you were on a formal platform such as an educational forum. As soon as you find yourself on a new forum or a platform, you should wait and see how the people are talking there. Following that pattern, you should act accordingly to make sure you do not hurt anyone’s feelings. Do not try to be different and the odd one out, rather just observe and adapt accordingly.
Know how to utilize other people’s time
You should also realize that other people’s time is of great importance and you should make sure you are not wasting their time. If you are sending a message to someone or even sending an email, you should read them before you send it so that you could figure out if you are wasting their time or not. You need to make sure you are sending messages to the right person and are not spamming random people with messages.
You can use social media to talk about informal stuff but you should try to be as formal as possible in situations that are either professional or academic. You should also be mindful of the other person’s data and internet and should make sure you do not send them hefty files but rather send smaller, compressed ones. Similarly, people might have storage issues and you have to keep that in mind as well.
Be more presentable online
You don’t need to look good only when you are heading out to meet people in person. You should also look good while you are on the internet. Firstly, you should make sure you don’t overshare on the internet. That could come off as something embarrassing. Make sure you are good at writing and that whatever you write is grammatically correct. Swearing is never attractive, try to avoid that whenever you are online. Even if you do end up swearing, make sure you censor it out using asterisks. The best part about the internet is that you can be as anonymous as you would like and no one would have an issue with that.
No one has to know your name, your location, your gender, or your religion as long as you are online and you can only share that with the people who you are comfortable with.
In Conclusion
These are some ways in which you can make sure you are following netiquettes and doing this doesn’t just make you a decent human being but you can urge other people to do the same as well to make the internet a better place