NETIQUETTE

As presented during the Course Orientation held on September 22, Network Etiquette shall be the rules that we should all observe to maintain a friendly learning environment. Below, you will find 'netiquette' reminders that we agreed on during the workshop. Thank you all for your active participation!

1. Be courteous. Communication should start with friendly a greeting. We have agreed to interact with each other on first name basis to de-emphasize hierarchy and age difference. This will contribute to a relaxed learning environment. However, let's always remember that there's thinking, feeling human being on the other side of the computer too so don't forget to write sensitively.

2. Be polite and tactful. As electronic communication makes us vulnerable to misunderstanding, let's make the most of our vocabulary and the keyboard in expressing friendly communication. Use punctuation marks and symbols properly and feel free to use smileys or emoticons :) Use bold letters ONLY when emphasizing. Do not abbreviate or use acronyms, or resort to the use of hurting and vulgar words to convey negative feelings.

3. Be professional. Avoid political opinion and stay away from irrelevant topics and personal conversation, we will be able to maintain a high quality of discussion. This will reveal professionalism at a high degree.

4. Be direct and concise. We are a big group and writing 'to the point' will give more space for others. It will also be time saving for the reader and the writer if messages were succinct and straightforward.

5. Be supportive. We are all co-learners in this Program. The more people we are able to encourage motivate and inspire to participate, the more we have people to learn from and enjoy the course with.

6. Be respectful. We may not agree all the time and when we do have disagreements on viewpoints, these may be aired in an agreeable and constructive manner. Disagreements that honor others' opinions are productive and can lead to new learning and understanding.

7. Participate. Nobody knows everything so you probably know information we don't. Share ideas, good stories, interesting insights, and local experiences. The more substantial inputs we share in our class, the more we will all learn. Feel free to upload files which you think are relevant and helpful for the discussion - for the other participants or for the program itself. No spam and no virus please.

8. Be constructive. Negative and argumentative comments are discouraging and serve as irritants. They create dead ends in discussion. Instead, let's create opportunities for discussion threads. Healthy arguments are brought about by polite questions. Criticize constructively, if you must. Avoid being judgmental. No derogatory or belittling remarks please. We also don't want anyone dominating discussions or imposing on others.

9. Reflect. Take advantage of the flexibility of time that e-learning offers us. Take time to understand questions before you answer them and review your answers before posting them.

Agreed by participants at the orientation meeting of the Disaster Risk Management Online Program, Manila, September 22, 2006

Something written in haste may be misread and may cause regret.

10. Have fun! The best way we can go through the course is to go through it with enthusiasm. There is, of course, space to identify more do’s and don’t’s that might improve our communication. For now, let’s just keep the 10 basic guidelines in mind.