Online Ethics and Etiquette

Online ethics focuses on the acceptable use of online resources in an online social environment. Netiquette is a combination of the words network and etiquette and is defined as a set of rules for acceptable online behavior (What is Netiquette? A Guide to Online Ethics and Etiquette n.d.). 

The rules of etiquette are just as important in cyberspace as they are in the real world ( Hartney 2020)

 1. Make Real People a Priority

If you are talking personally and face to face with someone, stop browsing or chatting with anybody else in your cellphone. 

2. Use Respectful Language 

Avoid name-calling, cursing, expressing deliberately offensive opinions. In typing, don't use caps lock. Text in all caps is generally perceived as yelling or flaming which cause misunderstanding and trouble. Please don't forget to say please and thank you as appropriate. 

3. Share With Discretion 

Avoid sending naked sexy pictures, drunk pictures, drug use pictures or unedited home video. If you would have a problem with your boss, your parents, or your kids seeing it now, or at any point in the future, don't post it online. Children should not post private information online. Do not also share your location or picture where you are currently at. Keep your personal information private. 

4. Don't Exclude Others 

Don’t let others feel that they are the one you are talking to in your obscure comment to your Facebook status, forum or Instagram story. And if you have an in-joke to share with one other person, or a small number of people in a larger online group, send them a private message. 

5. Choose Friends Wisely 

It is insulting to be dropped from someone's friend list on a social media site. So, think about it before sending a friend request or accepting an invitation. If you don't want to be in touch with someone, don't add them in the first place. This must be observed by kids or teens so they will not be a victim of online predation. People sometimes are good in pretending just to get your attention or use fake accounts.

6. Respect People's Privacy 

One example is when you send email to multiple recipients, don’t send it at once, you can send it privately individually or use BCC (blind carbon copy) rather than CC (carbon copy). The same goes for uploading photos or videos that include other people because others who are in this photo don’t want to be viewed by unknown friends. This also applies for tagging people on Facebook because others don’t want to be tagged. Another example is don't sign up for newsletters and other communications using someone else's email address. If you apply this rule, hackers might not have chance to enter and ruin your digital life. 

7. Fact Check Before Reposting 

If you aren't sure of the facts that you’re going to repost, email it to someone who does know or can find out. Or do a search on Google or snopes.com. Because once you’ve reposted a fake news or false facts, many can possibly believe it and spread once again. Don't forget also that many viruses are circulated via chain letters and invitations. So forwarding or reposting this kind of messages will not bring good luck but rather bad luck. Don’t forget to cite the owner of the post or where it came from. And before posting, check whether it is appropriate or inappropriate to others. 

8. Respond to Emails Promptly 

In doing this, you can easily check whether the emails you received are spams, unsolicited messages or crafty stuffs and delete these right away. But if you send your email to your friends or set it as public, then you need to respond immediately. But double-check where it really came because there are people who are fond of playing or making fake emails just to get in touch with you. 

9. Update Online Information 

Don't leave inaccurate information online that will mislead your friends or your customers if you have an online business. If you have a business website, update it regularly. Like your operating hours, if you are not available for that time, change it right away. 

10. Think before Click 

Don’t hesitate to think before clicking because you might click an unknown links or files that are likely to contain malware which will infect your devices or a link to hacker’s website. Think before clicking Like in social media posts because it might be a suicide post that will end to death because you liked his suicidal post. 

In the table below, mark with a check ( ) the internet threats that can be avoided in doing each netiquette. Internet threats are represented by letter in the table under Internet Threats column. 

a. Computer Virus f. Online Predation 

b. Cyberbullying g. Pharming 

c. Cyberstalking h. Phishing 

d. Flaming i. Spam 

e. Hacker j. Spyware