4.Digital Etiquette

Digital Etiquette

Digital Etiquette can be described as way of learning how to behave when you around others. Digital etiquette is a basic set of rules that should be followed by those who communicate together. Digital etiquette plays a major role in the business industry as it learns people in the business organisation how to communicate. Digital etiquette is a form of language or manner in which how persons communicate to one another via online communication. Digital etiquette ensures that the internet is safe for all users to use when communicating in such a way that it’s of a good manner and structure. Digital etiquette is basically a set of rules a person needs to follow in order to make the internet better for others, and better for them.

This element is one that brings about rules and limitation to overuse of digital objects. Law:  This refers to the rules or laws that may not be crossed digitally. Like copyright infringements, plagiarism and/ or trademark abuse.

Importance of Digital etiquette:

The importance of digital etiquette is that we communicators should not stray too much on using online communication, as we tend to lose too much of our communication skills. The importance of digital etiquette is that we should not lack netiquette as this may result in causing problems in the workplace and even at schools.

Role of Digital etiquette in the business:

Digital etiquette plays an important role in business as it shows businesses the way of conducting communication with other business enterprises. Digital etiquette creates a form of good manner communication in a business. Digital etiquette allows businesses take part on digital communication.

10 points of netiquette:

1. When communicating or connecting with people electronically be respectful. Treat others as you want to be treated. 
2. Don't stray from your norms and values act online as you will in real life.
3. Know your  environment (cyber space) and act  or discuss accordingly.
4. Respect peoples time online, say what you want to say and don't overload on information, people are always time limited.
5. Online physical appearance don't matter that much so it's important to "Look good" with your language usage and writing.
6. Share your expect knowledge, communicate and share about subjects you have knowledge or is interested in.
7. People sometimes disagree online but it is important to control these 'wars' and look for a positive outcome.
8. Respect privacy, people block or privatize certain information for a reason and it is important to keep your nose out of such information.
9. It is easy to be cruel or mean when your sitting behind a computer screen with anti-hack software, this power you have is a privilege and should not be abused.
10. Just like in real life people make mistakes and it is important to forgive people when they make these mistakes even online.

Penalties that apply for failing to meet these:

1. If these rules are not followed the first step would be to send the user an automatic email stating that they are breaking these rules.
2. The next step would be to limit their time access to the internet.
3. If the rules are still continued to be disobeyed they would then need to attend a disciplinary hearing.
4. If the previous step has not corrected their actions then the final step would be to take legal action against the user.

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How to enforce and manage the 10 points of netiquette:

• Identify yourself:
  • Begin messages with a salutation and end them with your name.
  • Use a signature (a footer with your identifying information) at the end of a message
• Include a subject line. Give a descriptive phrase in the subject line of the message header that tells the topic of the message (not just "Hi, there!").
• Avoid sarcasm. People who don't know you may misinterpret its meaning.
• Respect others' privacy. Do not quote or forward personal email without the original author's permission.
• Acknowledge and return messages promptly.
• Copy with caution. Don't copy everyone you know on each message.
• No spam (a.k.a. junk mail). Don't contribute to worthless information on the Internet by sending or responding to mass postings of chain letters, rumors, etc.
• Be concise. Keep messages concise—about one screen, as a rule of thumb.
• Use appropriate language:
  • Avoid coarse, rough, or rude language.
  • Observe good grammar and spelling.
• Use appropriate emoticons (emotion icons) to help convey meaning. Use "smiley's" or punctuation such as :-) to convey emotions. 

See website list of emoticons at http://netlingo.com/smiley.cfm and http://www.robelle.com/smugbook/smiley.html.

• Use appropriate intensifiers to help convey meaning.
  • Avoid "flaming" (online "screaming") or sentences typed in all caps.
  • Use asterisks surrounding words to indicate italics used for emphasis (*at last*).
  • Use words in brackets, such as (grin), to show a state of mind.
  • Use common acronyms (e.g., LOL for "laugh out loud").

Enforcing and Managing:

In the beginning of each school year the Digital Code of Conduct will be discussed with the students and on the registration contract both student and parent/guardian has to read and sign this. The devices at the college will be kept an eye on for any suspicious doings from the students.

(Anon. n.d. Digital Code of Conduct. Accessed 16 May 2015.  http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/johnoliver/About/Pages/Digital-Code-of-Conduct.aspx)