Netiquette

The proper way to behave online, etiquette for the internet. Net stands for the internet and etiquette stands for the right way to behave. This term was coined by the second generation emailers and was used to describe proper usage of email language, format, and style (Baron, 142). Today the set of rules are used to regulate email etiquette, and behavior on the internet at large in all types of online situations: Instant Messaging, Social Media, Blogs, and Games. For example: don’t repost without credit, don’t beg for likes... Some websites even have their own words for this, such as rediquette on reddit, to denote their own special rules. However, web spaces differ in their rules and strictness levels of netiquette, because some places are more tolerant than others of certain things.

An example of usage is YouTube, which is notorious for rude or otherwise toxic comments. Due to the number of comments, it’s difficult to track down everyone who would be considered “hateful”, but racist words for example, are banned. In terms of style, Twitter and Tumblr have very different rules for the @ symbol and sharing despite having similar features. Rules generally used on platforms are to remember the words on the screen come from a human, don’t say something you wouldn’t say in the real world, and remember what site you’re on (Core Rules of Netiquette). Essentially, one should act online as they would offline. Proper regulation of netiquette is put in place because it is necessary to place laws on the internet. The internet is home to many debates, arguments, fights, and discussions. There are people who are not afraid to be hateful to each other because they are on the internet and netiquette is used in order to regulate these things. The owners of the internet put these rules into place on their platforms to try to steer clear of hateful and inappropriate content.

Netiquette is especially important when it comes to dealing with what children can see on the internet. Some examples for more specific rules and features while it’s expected and encouraged for you to add comments on a post in the reblogs on Tumblr, such a thing would be a faux pas on twitter, as you’re supposed to add comments in the replies instead. The reason this happens is that these are two very different environments. Much like how two eateries can have very different environments despite both being a place to sit down to eat and talk.

Another example is YouTube and Reddit. Both have downvotes and upvotes on comments, but you can only see the downvotes on reddit, not YouTube. So on reddit, you’re supposed to save your downvotes for people who are wrong, not just irritating, while on YouTube, no one can see your downvotes, so you can give as many as you want with no consequences. Your behavior online depends on the situation just like in the real world. However, some online environments do have a code of conduct, such as schools and places of work. One example comes from FIU’s netiquette policy page. For example, typing in all caps is frowned upon, as is speaking in slang (FIU policy page). Middle Schoolers had unspoken rules for using the internet in 2018 (Middle School Students’ Social Media Use). They didn’t need to be told to create a netiquette, they just knew it. Unlike those initial email users, who laid out the Core Rules of Netiquette. Netiquette is constantly evolving.