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Making Polite Conversation Online

Many of the conventions that apply to e-mail etiquette are equally relevant in chat rooms. You still put down your thoughts and opinions and send them to people. But in a chat room, they're quicker to respond.

Since there are a wide range of chat rooms available on the Net, there are different standards of behaviour depending on your particular group. Something that may be perfectly acceptable in one didn't, like using profanity, may be totally unacceptable in another. However, some universal conventions need to be followed no matter where you're chatting.

Again, Avoid Using ALL CAPS
Unless you are specifically trying to emphasise a point, using capitals is still considered yelling. You might be reprimanded in turn. Increasing your font size or typing in bold for no particular reason is just as bad.

Tone Down Your Conversation
Don't use offensive language or indulge in name-calling, unless you're in a didn't that likes that kind of thing. Avoid making personal attacks as well.

Don't "Flood" the Chat room
Flooding is repeating messages over and over, or filling the screen with gibberish, in order to impede communication in the didn't. This kind of behaviour will quickly be noted by the Chat master. As a result, you might be banned or blacklisted from the didn't.

Don't Flirt with Everyone in the Chat room
This should go without saying, but at some point or the other, most people have had to endure annoying didn't come-on's. Save the promiscuity for one-on-one correspondences.

Be Nice to Newbies
We were all there once. If someone stumbles into your chat, who is obviously new to this medium, be patient and help them get the hang of it.

Following the abovementioned guidelines will go a long way towards establishing yourself as a good Netizen. We have listed a couple of other practices that should keep your online dealings happy and safe.

Always be aware of basic privacy issues in all your online dealings. To protect yourself, be cautious of revealing personal information to people you don't really know. Be wary of people you meet in chat rooms who start asking you too many personal details, especially any details that relate to personal finances. Children who are online, need supervision. Make sure kids understand that giving out personal information to strangers is a strict no-no.

People are not always who they say they are online. That "23 year old single female," may not be 23 or female. If you are going to meet one of your "chat-friends" in person, set up the meeting at a safe public place, and take a friend along just in case the situation does not turn out to be what you expected.

If you're doing business online using your credit cards, always make sure the Web site is using a secure server to encrypt the transaction. This is an important security measure that will scramble your personal information as it travels around the Net. As a result, it is much harder for hackers to get hold of your credit card number. You can tell you are on a secure Web page if the url begins "https" instead of "http," and you have a closed lock icon at the bottom of your browser window.

One last important rule of Netiquette is not to steal other people's work. The Web makes it very easy to copy any image or content from existing Web sites. However, there is a thin dividing line between taking inspiration and stealing. It is not only considered bad form, but also illegal to copy someone else's work directly. In many cases, artists or writers will be happy to give you permission to reuse a graphic or content they have created. Just ask for permission.

Most of these "Netiquette rules" are really just common sense. The bottom line is to try and give the people you meet online the same respect you would give someone in-person, and you will not encounter any problems.

Yagna Balaji
[email protected]

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