• Don't Type in All CAPS - Using all caps (capitals) is considered yelling or screaming. All caps are good to use for subject headings or for emphasis, i.e.: THIS is what I'm talking about.
  
  
• Don't Write Anything You Wouldn't Say in Public - Anyone can easily forward your message, even by accident which can be embarrassing. Likewise, anything you post to a newsgroup or in a chatroom is public. You never know who is reading it, copying it, or spreading it around.
  
  
• Do Share Information and Help Others - We have all been Newbies one way or another and we all have expertise in one thing or another. The Net was created for sharing and educating. Something we all need to remember.
  
  
• Don't Share Too Much - Never give out your passwords or other personal information to anyone. *Egads - the horror stories*
  
  
• Don't Fall for "Trolls" - "Trolling" is sending/posting intentionally offensive comments, vicious untruths, or phrases specifically meant to incite a fight or get a rise out of you. When posting in chat, Trolls make one or two posts then sit back to watch the show. These people have no lives and nothing better to do, and most of us know it but it can be unnerving for Newbies unfamiliar with this practice. Your best weapons for these instances is the use of your delete key or the ignore feature in chat. Pass up the urge and don't get sucked in.
  
  
• Do Be Understanding - If you have unintentionally offended another don't hesitate to offer an apology. By the same token, remember that you are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else.
  
  
• Don't Use Foul Language - You will be perceived as crude, ignorant, uneducated, uncouth, crass and a myriad of other things all of which were probably not your intention. Even in an intended angry message or "flame" the use of foul language will not get your point across but will encourage the receiver to use his/her best weapons... the delete key or ignore feature. My dad always said that the use of foul language is the sign of a weak mind that has already lost the argument.
  
  
• Do Use Smileys - Smileys (aka emoticons) and cyber abbreviations help to add humor and personality to your messages, as well as ward off possible misunderstanding. See Chat Lingo for the most commonly used smileys and abbreviations.
  
  
• Do Use Group Hello's - It is not necessary to say hello to each individual when entering a chatroom. It is perfectly acceptable to say Hello to the group. Besides, by the time you get done saying hello to each person in the room you are 30 minutes behind, several people have left and you are out of loop and have to start over. (yes...she's experienced *G*) However, common courtesy encourages you to always welcome a new person entering the group.
  
  
• Do Use Salutations - When you use the phone, greet someone face-to-face, or write a letter you say "Hello," "Dear," "good-bye," "Sincerely," "you're welcome," and "thank you." The same goes for email. Not including a "thank you" when asking for assistance or information is just plain rude.
  
  
• Do Use BCC for Group Email - On those rare occasions when you need to send an email to a group of people it is common courtesy to use the BBC feature of your email application. BCC means "Blind Carbon Copy" and using it means the email addresses in the group will be "blind" or not seen by everyone in the group. Many people find the broadcasting of their email address offensive and an invasion of privacy. It is equal to me giving your telephone number to a stranger in Cucamonga without permission. Not very nice to say the least.
  
  
• Don't Send Huge Emails or Attachments - Most people do not have T1 lines and 200 mgs of storage. They are limited in space by their providers and the transmission of a small phone line. This can mean the loss or bounce back of other important email to the recipient and can be extremely costly for people who pay by the hour for their web service.
  
  
• Do Re-Size and Re-Format Your Pics - This is true for posting in chat, on your website, or sending in email. Downloading or caching pics that are too big or the wrong format can take an eternity or even freeze someone's PC. I once downloaded a set of pics that took over 15 minutes *egads!* See Pics 101.
  
  
• Don't Forward Bogus "Virus Warnings" - If you have received an email that concerns you, check it out with your virus software site or some other reputable site - see Viruses & Hoaxes. These are the experts, not some email forwarded by well-meaning friends even if they do say that MSN, or Billy Gates or IBM say so. These are Hoaxes and are a waste of time, money and bandwidth. The more you delete these "warnings" the better off we all are.
  
  
• Don't Forward Chain Letters - We've all seen the bogus sob stories and the get-rich-schemes in one form or another and even gotten caught up in them once or twice.*RF* Again, see Viruses & Hoaxes.
  
  
• Don't Send Unsolicited Commercial Email - This is SPAMMING! Hated throughout the cyberworld. If you have something you think someone would be interested in, ask first and get permission before sending it. The same goes for forwarding email of this type.
  
  
• Do Use the Tools You Learned in Grade School - Using complete sentences, punctuation, capitalization, spelling and paragraph breaks make your messages easier to read and understand, and much more effective. Isn't that why we're here? I recently read that "poor writing is equivalent to someone speaking with spinach stuck between their teeth. Listeners and readers concentrate on the spinach; not what is being said." This is very true. But remember, the rules of speech are different from language to language so be tolerant and understanding as well.

No... I'm not perfect and I have been guilty of at least 9 of the above gaffes once or twice. But I learn and I share with others *VBS* As I have already said, these are just some basics. If you are interested in more Netiquette information and details, I recommend the following websites:

• Network Working Group Netiquette Guidelines
• Online Netiquette Uncensored
• I'm NOT Miss Manners of the Internet