Netiquette is the socially acceptable behavior within the Net community. Also referred to as Common Courtesy, or just plain Manners. No... these aren't my opinions but are the established guidelines that have evolved as the community has evolved. There are many sites on the Net addressing the subject ranging from email in the work-place to discussion and chat groups to the conduct of business.

As in any society, one who does not take the time to learn and understand the basics of common courtesy may be perceived as rude, lazy, ignorant, arrogant or uneducated. Normally, when we interact with others, this is not the picture we wish to portray. For anyone who is online for business purposes, ignoring basic Netiquette means absolute death.

Think of it as learning to drive a car. When you started to drive you needed to learn how to operate the car and learn the "rules of the road."

By no means, is this a comprehensive discussion on Netiquette but is meant to provide assistance on some basic Netiquette. The primary rule, above all else, is to be courteous to your fellow Netizens and "Remember the Human." In the cyberworld we lack the use of vocal and other non-verbal cues we rely on in RT (real-time), i.e. tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, etc. It is easy for any message to be misinterpreted. Remember, there is a person on the other side of that screen with feelings just like you - so put yourself in the other person's shoes. Follow the same standards of behavior online that you follow in RT.

For Newbies and some not so new here are a few Do's & Don'ts: