E-Campus Online Participant Guide

Transcription

1 E-Campus Online Participant Guide Copyright 2014 Region 13 Education Service Center

2 Using Netiquette Source: LearntheNet.com We expect other drivers to observe the rules of the road and the same is true as we travel through cyberspace. That s where netiquette, a shortened form of Internet etiquette comes in handy. Here are a few pointers to guide you through your electronic communications: 1. Avoid writing messages or posting in newsgroups or forums using all capital letters. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU RE SHOUTING! 2. To add humor and personality to your messages, use smileys, also known as emoticons, which are expressions you create from the characters on your keyboard. A few popular ones include: :-) Happy :-e :-( Sad :-< Mad :-o :-D :-@ Disappointed Surprised Laughing Screaming ;-) Winking :-I Indifferent 3. Keep your communications to the point. Few people like reading text on a computer screen. Also, some people still pay for Internet access by the hour. The longer it takes to read your messages, the more it costs them. This is true whether you send or post messages to a newsgroup or a mailing list. 4. Remember that anything you post to a newsgroup or forum and anything you type during a public chat session is a public comment. You never know who s reading it or who may copy it and spread it around. 5. When posting a message to a public bulletin board, forum, or newsgroup, stick to the topic. Don t indiscriminately post unrelated comments, or worse advertisements, to every newsgroup you can think of. This practice, known as spamming, will quickly lead to another unpleasant Internet practice, flaming. What is flaming? Sometimes you might offend someone unintentionally. Be prepared to receive some angry or be treated rudely in a public discussion. This is called being flamed. If you attack back, you will spark a flame war. To contain the heat, the best response usually is no response at all. 6. If you post an ad to a newsgroup or send it in an , clearly identify it in the subject line. That way people who aren t interested can delete it. ~ { 54 } ~

3 Using Netiquette (continued) 7. To keep messages short, use some common abbreviations: BTW means By the Way. A G enclosed in brackets indicates grinning. A good one to keep handy in case you re worried about offending someone is IMHO -- In My Humble Opinion. One of our favorites is ROTFL, which stands for Rolling on the Floor Laughing. A shortened version is LOL -- Laughing Out Loud. And if you get called away while chatting online, try BRB -- Be Right Back. 8. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) are handy documents to read before asking questions. Always consult them whenever available. Netiquette isn t something you learn overnight, so don t let your fear of not knowing cyberprotocol hold you back. For more tips, visit Wikipedia s netiquette article. Responsibility in a Virtual World The Internet has made it possible for people all around the world to connect with each other in meaningful ways. Whether for research, education, business, or just fun, the Internet has changed how many of us live, work, and play, in ways we may not even be fully aware of. As the Internet continues to evolve, so do the issues that impact the way we use it. From privacy, security, and freedom of speech, to honesty and consideration in the way we interact with others, we all have a responsibility to preserve and protect its unique character. That means recognizing that while the medium is in many ways a reflection of the physical world, it is in other ways, fundamentally different manifesting its own customs and practices. ~ { 55 } ~

4 Using Etiquette Source: LearntheNet.com When we converse, we expect other people to observe certain rules of behavior. The same is true online. Here are a few pointers to help you communicate more effectively. 1. Clearly summarize the contents of your message in the subject line. Properly titled messages help people organize and prioritize their Don t use the CC (Carbon Copy) function to copy your message to everyone. This is particularly true at work. These days everyone receives too many s. Unnecessary messages are annoying. If only a few people really need to receive your message, only direct it to them. Similarly, when responding to , do not respond to all recipients. By choosing Reply to All or a similar button when responding to a message, you may end up broadcasting your response to your entire company. 3. Use BCCs (Blind Carbon Copies) when addressing a message that will go to a large group of people who don t necessarily know each other. Just as it is not polite to give out a person s telephone number without his or her knowledge, it is not polite to give out someone s address. For instance, when you send an message to 30 people and use To or CC to address the message, all 30 people see each other s address. By using BCC, each recipient sees only two theirs and yours. 4. Keep your messages short and focused. Few people enjoy reading on their computer screens; fewer still on the tiny screens in cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices that are becoming increasingly popular. Recipients tend to ignore, these long messages. 5. Sending Attachments Users of most wireless devices don t have the software required to open an attachment such as a Word document or spreadsheet. 6. Avoid using all capital letters. USING ALL CAPS MAKES IT LOOK LIKE YOU RE SHOUTING! IT S ALSO MORE DIFFICULT TO READ. 7. Don t write anything you wouldn t say in public. Anyone can easily forward your message, even accidentally. This could leave you in an embarrassing position if you divulge personal or confidential information. If you don t want to potentially share something you write, consider using the telephone. ~ { 56 } ~

5 Using Etiquette (continued) 8. Use a smiley to make sure that a statement is not misunderstood. Smileys are typically used in personal and are not considered appropriate for business. They should rarely be used in the office. If your message needs a smiley for better understanding, most likely you should not be delivering it via . Even with a smiley, someone may misunderstand you. Smileys should be used to support a statement. It s rude to write something mean or derogatory, then place a happy smiley at the end of the sentence. Refer to the Smiley article for a list of commonly used ones. 9. Avoid sending s to large numbers of people unless you have a serious reason to do it. broadcast to many recipients may be considered spam. 10. Angry s should also be avoided. These messages have their own term: flame. Flame is an insulting message designed to cause pain, as when someone gets burned. 11. As a courtesy to your recipient, include your name at the bottom of the message. The message contains your address (in the header), but the recipient may not know that the return address belongs to you, especially if it is different from your real name. 12. Check Your Spelling To make sure your message isn t compromised by misspelled words, use your software s built-in spell checker. For more tips, visit replies.com. etiquette may take time to learn. Don t let your fear of making mistakes inhibit you. All Internet users were beginners at one time, so most people are quite forgiving. ~ { 57 } ~

6 General Information Contact Information Education Service Center Region Springdale Road Austin, TX 7872 Region 13 Staff Development Office or Mark Kolstad, M.Ed The Facilitator Guide and Participant Guide are provided for free use and distribution by participants and facilitators of online courses hosted by Region XIII Education Service Center s E-Campus system. These Guides are to be used solely for non-commercial, training purposes. Copyright Region 13 Education Service Center. All rights reserved. ~ { 61 } ~