Question

The internet has acquired its own rules and conventions for interaction known as netiquette. Apply the concepts of regulative and constitutive rules to interaction on the internet. What are regulative rules over the internet (For example, e-mail should have a subject heading that reflects the current topic of the message, greetings and salutations used in letters are not used in e-mails, use emoticons such as smiley faces to communicate non-verbal elements, etc.)? What are constitutive rules (For example, using ALL CAPS counts as screaming, not replying to an e-mail message for over a day may count as being rude, not using paragraphs to break up long e-mail messages counts as being insensitive to the reader, etc.). Please turn in a paper detailing these rules, give a few examples of each and how they are applied.

Answer 1

Below are some of the netiquettes that should be maintained when one uses internet.

1. Always maintain the same standards of behavior you would maintain in real-world
   • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Would you be sharing content which can make you uncomfortable? Be it in real-word or the internet, never share content that makes you or someone uncomfortable. Content abuse and sharing without proper consent has been always one of the biggest problems of internet.
   • Never share pictures of you or your known ones which you can in no way share in real-world.Internet is an open place and any one can access the content in most of the cases. So, respect that privacy aspect.
2. Remember that you cannot control the place where your emails/content are stored
   • ​​​​​​​Always remember that the content you share on the internet, be it emails or articles or discussion forums can be stored in any place. This is a very much important to understand the risk any online tool can bring in. Recent times have proven that even the most matured and evolved websites can be targeted and data breach can happen. So, never share something which can put you in trouble at any point of time.
   • Always remember that people can misuse your content and leverage that to their advantage. So, be very cautious when you send emails / share content.
3. It is advisable to follow grammar rules and punctuations appropriately
   • ​​​​​​​Not following proper grammar rules and punctuations in any email or content you create, can cause a huge problem. The other side of the conversation may not understand your intent properly. You are not in a situation to express through your emotions or voice. Even thought emojis are available, they cannot be relied upon when we do email based conversation.
   • Using internet slang, short forms instead of the actual words can cause a lot of confusion. Remember that these internet slangs or short notations are not standardized(in most of the cases) and even if they are standardized, chances are that the other party might not be aware of. This can cause mis-communication and convey the wrong meaning.
   • Use a language which is known to all the parties in a conversation. Never use an unknown language as it can cause the other party to ignore your mails or content.
4. Respect other person's time and avoid dumping huge content on them
   • ​​​​​​​How would you feel when someone keeps on talking to you even when you are busy with other priority tasks? Definitely irritated and you may want to end the conversation as soon as possible. The same is applicable to the internet as well. Never dump too much content or files to the other person. They will be forced to ignore your emails.
   • Don't send huge emails spanning multiple paragraphs all the time. Be considerate about other's time and commitments. Unless it is truly necessary, don't send big emails. Rather get into a call and discuss over it. That makes the conversation more human and helps reduce the gap and ensure quick response from both the parties.
5. Be courteous in your responses
   • With great power comes great responsibility. Never abuse you power of being able to send responses over the internet.
   • Be considerate about the other's, try to see from their view point, avoid hate speech, avoid aggressive talks.
   • Help the other person by pointing out any mistakes if need be but don't be arrogant in your responses.
6. Never share something without doing a proper fact check
   • ​​​​​​​With the advent of technology, the tools and techniques to create fake images and content have also evolved beyond our imaginations. Tools like deepfake can generate video content which can show someone or something in bad light. Always ensure you are doing proper fact check before sharing something on the internet.
   • Never go with the herd mentality and react to content posted on the internet. It can be damaging you in many ways including financially.
7. Avoid blame talk and agitated discussions as much a possible
   • ​​​​​​​Recent times have seen a raise in the discussion forums and websites where hate speeches are in an uptrend.
   • Picking sides and demeaning the other side of the topic / society / community has been happening more frequently. This is due to a person's inability to understand that everyone has the right to express their views. Never be aggressive in your responses or messages just because their views are not matching with your's.
   • Never fight with anyone over the topics like religion, caste, country, region, language, personal choices. Respect each individual's views and be courteous to the others.
8. Do not spam anyone when you are in a group or community. Remember that by spamming them, you are not only disturbing them, you are in fact spoiling the group's purpose.
   • ​​​​​​​The purpose of any community or group on the internet is to grow together, share knowledge or information relevant to the people in the group.
   • Never share content which is irrelevant to the group.
   • Never share content which can damage the group's purpose and make people uncomfortable.
   • Spamming a group with irrelevant content is like dancing when everyone is very seriously discussing about a product that is planned for public launch.
9. Always keep the information you share true to your knowledge and avoid incorrect information from sharing.
   • ​​​​​​​Internet is huge and the content being shared on the internet is prone to being incorrect.
   • Be a responsible user on the internet and always ensure you share valid and correct information.
   • Don't ever share content which you are not sure of. At least clearly mention that you are not fully sure and sharing the content from your view point.
   • Always cite the source of information if it is not your own. Don't just copy paste the content which can spread false information.