Netiquette Guide for Students

When we communicate with someone we often depend on their tone of voice, expression, body language and sounds such as sighs and laughter to help us work out just what that person is trying to say.

During your studies you may use a variety of online communication tools such as email, discussion boards, blogs, wikis and social media such as Twitter, FaceBook, and YouTube.

In most of these cases of communicating through internet based programs the medium for your message is text.

Communicating via online technologies can sometimes desensitise us to the need for courtesies we would normally demonstrate when interacting face-to-face. In order to help replace some of these missing spoken communication cues, a specific net culture has developed: a network etiquette otherwise known as "netiquette".

At Curtin you are encouraged to participate and engage in all online communications with a positive attitude, a respect for others and a desire to learn. The guidelines below present some general and technology specific netiquette principles to guide your appropriate net use and communication conduct throughout your time as a student.

General
Content
Collaborative communication environments
Email
Resources

Guidelines

General

In general, basic rules of common courtesy are even more important in online communications because the tone of message has to be inferred without body language or tone of voice. To help do this, try to-

Consider your mode of communication: Choose the right mode of communication so that it suits your message in terms of length, sensitivity, recipients and required response.
Avoid sending a message when you're upset or angry: Wait a while (even overnight if necessary) to send responses to messages that make you feel emotional; and always avoid sending heated messages (called 'flames') even if you are provoked. Don't be surprised if you get flamed at some point, but don't let yourself respond to flames.
Use emoticons or smiley's [e.g. :-)] sparingly: while these can help to indicate tone of voice, they should not be used in place of clearer instructions, or in an attempt to make up for an otherwise insulting comment! Also, if your message is formal emoticons may be less acceptable.
Word your responses clearly and in full: for example don't send a reply with, "That will be fine"; rather, "Your request to contact X within 3 days will be followed up by 5pm Tuesday".
Reply promptly: Try to respond to all messages sent directly to you as soon as you can. If an immediate response cannot be achieved, let the recipient know approximately when you will reply.
Check you are sending the communication to the right recipient: Always check the names of the recipients in the "To" section. this can help you to avoid cross-posting or sending the communication to inappropriate groups.

Content

When choosing what to include in your communication, it is best to -

Consider your subject description: Check that your subject description is meaningful for both you and the recipients. This will alert readers to the purpose of the communication and make it easier to find and retrieve the message later.
Check your writing is professional: Proofread your message and use correct grammar and spelling. Avoid using slang, uncommon phrases, abbreviations without spelling them out in full or upper case text as IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING.
Re-read your message: Ensure the message you have written is clear, free from error and that required attachments are included.
Value others' output: Recognise and value what each person has to say, and use this opportunity to share and build on each other's unique experiences, abilities and knowledge.
Check your tone and courtesy: How it sounds in your head may not be conveyed well in text. Choose your attitude and choose your language - showing courtesy and respect goes a long way.
Be brief: Try to be straight to the point and limit the length of your message, as reading through all the messages, posts and comments within a unit of study can be very time consuming. When replying to a message, include enough original material to be understood but no more: instead, edit out all the irrelevant stuff.

Collaborative communication environments

Curtin's collaborative communication environments include discussion forums, blogs and wikis. When using these, try to -

Participate: Actively participate in discussion activities; this is your learning opportunity.
Respond: Monitor activity and respond to conversations and topics that relate to you.
Add value: Avoid repeating comments by making sure you read previous posts. Try to add depth to a discussion rather than simply agreeing to what has been said.
Contribute: Make a knowledgeable contribution to the discussion by ensuring that you have completed the readings and thought about the issues.
Reference: Provide references to materials that you have used - cite and link to your sources wherever possible..
Question and Support: Ask questions that probe and will shed new light on a topic. Support your peers rather than devaluing their contribution. You may disagree with ideas, but refrain from personal attacks.

Email

Recipients: Be aware of how you broadcast your message - consider who needs to read it or respond to it. Use Blind copy (Bc) and Carbon copy (Cc) judiciously.
Reply all: This broadcast reply function is often used by accident. Double-check your recipients and reply to all only if it is necessary.
Forward: Do not forward messages that are private, personal or inappropriate. Always seek permission from the sender before doing so.
Don't send chain letters: they're actually forbidden on the internet. Notify your local system administrator if you ever get sent one.
Attachments: Try to avoid sending large attachments (over 2 MB's). One way to do this may be to link to the webpage where the information is stored, or save your information in formats that take up less space, such as a "zip file".

Resources

For more information, you may like to refer to Email Etiquette for Students [.pdf]

The Netiquette Guide for Students text has been adapted from the following resources:

Netiquette Guidelines [RFC 1855]
CITs Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Social Media Guidelines [.pdf]
Curtin Policies: Social Media Use Guidelines for Staff [.pdf]
Stony Brook Discussion Board: Examples of Discussion Board Etiquette for Online Courses[.pdf]
University of Wisconsin, Stout's Discussion Board Etiquette
Internetrix's 2006 "Say What: Netiquette" article