Download Netiquette and Online Communication

Netiquette and Online Communication
Jessie F. Aranda
Abstract
This paper examines several issues related to netiquette and online communication. Discussed
first is how netiquette is learned and the effect the learning method has on its application. The
learning methods presented are imitations of others in the community, formally presented rules,
and community reaction to unacceptable behaviors. The implications of netiquette in crosscultural communication are also discussed with attention to the need for special rules in this
area. Consideration is given to cultural differences and expectations as well as issues with nonnative English speakers. A discussion on how the evolution of technology pushes for new or
modified rules of online communication is also present. Finally, a list of general guidelines for
proper netiquette is presented, followed by closing thoughts on the future of netiquette.
Keywords: online communication rules, netiquette, online etiquette
Introduction
Netiquette can be defined, simply, as rules for
online communication (or etiquette for online communication). How rules are interpreted is not so
simple. Further, how the rules are initially established varies depending on the community in which
they are developed. Online communities develop
rules for communications based on the purpose of
the community’s existence—professional, educational, or entertainment. Looking at problems with
online communication is a way to determine necessary rules. Some problems that are common include messages that do not address the recipient
by name, messages that do not include a greeting
or salutation, one word emails (yes/no) with no reference to what is being answered, use of slang by
adults, and attaching large files (Preece, 2004). It
is through the understanding of netiquette and how
it affects the dynamic of an online community that
effective online communication will occur.
It is important to note the effect culture and technology have on developing netiquette. The internet
started rough and lacking of rules, which was not a
problem when the internet was used primarily by
computer technicians, but now the internet is used
by a very diverse population. The diversity of users
has added an interesting element to online communication. Now cultural and technological differences within the online community must be accounted for (Preece, 2004).
This paper examines several issues related to
netiquette and online communication. First to be
discussed is how netiquette is learned and the effect the learning method has on its application. Next,
the implications of netiquette in cross-cultural communication are discussed with attention to the need
for special rules in this area. A discussion on how
the evolution of technology pushes for new or modified rules of online communication follows. FinalVOLUME 21 NO. 4
ly, a list of general guidelines for proper netiquette
is presented.
Learning Netiquette
Learning netiquette occurs in the same way as
any other behavior- copying others in the community (Preece, 2004), being faced with negative reactions to expressed behaviors (Johnson, 1997), and
formal presentation of expected behavior (Levinson,
2007). Which of these methods is best for teaching
and learning netiquette? A blend of all three is generally what occurs and works best. Strictly relying
on technology or posted rules to promote proper
communication is not always an effective way to
curb offenders.
A good way to promote proper netiquette in academic environments is through teacher education.
Student teachers taught the basics of netiquette
and how the rules should be presented to future
students can, over time, build a community of informed participants (Levinson, 2007). Simply posting be polite in the course syllabus is not enough to
capture a full set of potentially uninformed and inexperienced online communicators. This is particularly true of new online students, new to the format and new to the technology. By finding the most
effective way of presenting rules for proper online
interaction, poor netiquette, a cause for discomfort
in online communication, can be alleviated.
For the most part, users will take cues from the
existing online interaction when forming ideas of
proper behavior. A new user will usually copy the
actions of more experienced users and adapt to the
community (Preece, 2004). By simply luring and
trolling (just looking without responding) users become aware of expected behavior patterns and the
consequences for not following the community
norms (Johnson, 1997). The rules of an online com-
Journal of INSTRUCTION DELIVERY SYSTEMS
11
munity are created as part of the group forming process. These rules are formally defined and presented to the group or are created through the community’s acceptance of certain behaviors (PankokeBabatz, & Jeffrey, 2002). It then becomes the community’s job to enforce rules through positive reactions to desired behavior and negative reactions to
undesired behaviors.
International/Cross-cultural
Netiquette
Netiquette can be interpreted differently in separate areas of the world. Technology at different
developmental levels of development could be a
cause. A country that has 20 years of online communication experience will have developed far more
norms for online communication than one with a
mere five years. Higher technological development
in the more experienced country will dictate a more
evolved set of norms. Interaction between these two
countries could result in miscommunication and a
misunderstanding of the other’s intentions. For example, a country already using broadband internet access would have different file size expectations, with regard to email attachments, than a
country still using a dial-up connection.
Social norms usually dictate the rules for etiquette. Unfortunately, social norms vary depending on the individual’s background and culture since
these are derived from personal experience and exposure. This difference leaves a lot of room for potential problems and misunderstandings. Many
times a difference in social norms is misinterpreted
as a lack of etiquette (Preece, 2004). Preconceived
notions of cultures (others and your own) lead to
improper expectations in cross-culture communication (i.e. expecting certain cultures to keep to
deadlines or have higher levels of participation or
experience). These notions can cause insult or
undue pressure to participants in an online community (Dahlgren, Larsson, & Walters, 2006).
It is important to take extra care when communicating with others of different cultures. Netiquette
is a particularly delicate issue in such a situation.
Extra politeness and consideration of foreign norms
must be exercised if positive online communication
is to be achieved. Again, since social norms usually dictate expectations for online interaction, it is a
good idea to become aware of other’s cultural differences when engaging in online communication.
Different cultures have different expectations and
may feel uncomfortable if the expectation is not met
(Murphy & Levy, 2006).
Although English is a common language online
it is not necessarily the first language of people involved in the exchange. Non-native English speakers use different methods of politeness due to their
inability to fully manipulate the language. Nonnative English speakers can only edit to make mes12
sages more polite if they are familiar with the language conventions necessary to do so. A message
from such an individual may unintentionally seem
short or crude. As a native English speaker, it is
helpful to be aware of others’ ability with the language to better decipher the meaning of messages
when engaging in online communication with nonnative speakers (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2007).
In some countries online communication is so
new; users often suffer from mistake anxiety. That
is, users are so unfamiliar with the technology (due
to its novelty) and the communication norms that
they will seem withdrawn and uncommunicative
(Dahlgren, Larsson, & Walters, 2006).
Technology Specific Netiquette
Rules for online communication are often technology specific. The form of communication can be
in any of the formats technology now affords the
users. The norms for technologies are born of the
nature of the format. That means the rules for email
and the rules for instant messaging are not necessarily the same. In fact they should be somewhat
different because email is asynchronous and instant messaging is synchronous. Newer technology may call for a modification in what one can expect in the realm of etiquette. The constant evolution of technology implies that the rules for online
communication must also shift with each development. The rules should be both flexible and grounded in the behavioral norms we have come to expect
(Preece, 2004).
A rule specific to email and online chat is the
use of all capital letters to indicate shouting (for
anger or joy). Inappropriate use or overuse of all
capital letters could convey the wrong message (Byron & Baldridge, 2007). Yet, the use of all capital
letters in text messaging is more acceptable due to
the limited typing capabilities of cellular phones used
to create and transmit these messages. Both of
these technologies, though, make use of emoticons
to help convey a message—making it clearer (Byron & Baldridge, 2007).
The difference in synchronous and asynchronous
communication technologies, with regard to netiquette, is the time lapse between message creations,
reading, and response. Synchronous communications such as chat rooms and multi-user domains
allow for instant interaction and therefore require
more carefully defined rules for communication.
Asynchronous communications such as email and
newsgroups allow for a time lapse between composition, reading, and responding. The time lapse allows participants time to consider and edit messages (Pankoke-Babatz, & Jeffrey, 2002). The time
lapse does not mean an absence of rules is acceptable, but rather that the rules may be presented
differently.
Journal of INSTRUCTION DELIVERY SYSTEMS VOLUME 21 NO. 4
When considering technology and netiquette, not
only the people involved are held accountable for
proper behavior. The technology itself must comply with norms of netiquette. The technology must
be compliant in how the systems respond to users
when prompting for responses and when providing
feedback. Technology must also be netiquette compliant with what it allows users to do and say
(Mishra, & Hershey, 2004). A good example is the
newer cellular phones that include a full keyboard
for easier message creation.
Below is a list of common rules of netiquette for
several communication formats. These rules are
some of the accepted norms that are evolving with
the technology with which they are associated
(Johnson, 1997, Pankoke-Babatz, & Jeffrey, 2002,
Preece, 2004).
• Be aware of your audience including cultural,
technological, and language limitations
• Respect others’ privacy
• Apply real world rules whenever appropriate (if
it is not acceptable behavior offline it is probably not acceptable online)
• Politeness always reigns supreme, so be nice
• Use proper writing style
• Do not SPAM (send unsolicited email messages)
• Avoid flaming (personal attacks) or do so via a
private format (i.e. email)
• Know (or learn) the rules of the community in
which you want to participate
• Refrain from slang in formal communication
• Do not use electronic devices to send messages
while having a face-to-face conversation, during a meeting, or class etc.
• Use emoticons whenever possible :-)
Online intercultural communication is just as
delicate as physical face-to-face intercultural communication. Special consideration must be given
to cultural expectations that may hinder communication. It is always best to be as informed as possible when dealing outside of one’s culture. Simple
differences in language translation can cause a
major communication breakdown. This fact is particularly true of non-native English speakers. Those
individuals who do not dominate the language may
have difficulty expressing certain emotions (or may
express emotions that are not present). Responsibility falls on native speaker to foresee these difficulties and aid in proper communication.
Technology is and probably will always be rapidly changing. This change will bring modifications
to the already accepted norms for online behavior.
It is important to understand the significance of
netiquette as it relates to each of the technology
formats that allow online communication. Communication formats (email, instant message, etc.) are
not to be treated as one technology with a single set
of rules. Consider the purpose of the format (entertainment, professional, or educational) and whether it has multiple uses. Make the best choice for
sending and conveying the intended message.
Overall, if users forget the anonymity afforded by
online communication and act as if they will have
to show accountability for their actions, netiquette
becomes easy to deliver. Although rude and inconsiderate people exist in the physical world, far more
of this behavior is seen in the online world. Users
must self-moderate and evolve with the technology
(stay aware). As the rules of netiquette become more
universally defined, online communications will
continue to grow as a positive forum for sharing
ideas and knowledge.
Conclusion
References
Online communications are continually evolving
and therefore so are the rules for netiquette. It is
the job of the online community to create and disseminate the acceptable norms of communication.
Educators are part of this community and hold a
special role as they are many times the first formal
presenters of online communication rules. Users
of online communications must make an effort to
learn proper communication rules as to better
transmit their messages. Online communities
should aid new users by formally presenting expected norms of behavior and by responding negatively to undesired actions. Although it may seem
as though online communication may one day become so commonplace that formally displaying rules
of netiquette will no longer be necessary (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2007), there will always be users who
are uninformed or need reminding.
Biesenbach-Lucas, S. (2007). Students writing
emails to faculty: An examination of e-politeness
among native and non-native speakers of English. Language Learning & Technology, 11(2), 5981.
Byron, K. & Baldridge, D. C. (2007). E-mail recipients’ impressions of senders’ likability: The interactive effect of nonverbal cues and recipients’
personality. The Journal of Business Communication, 44(2), 137-160.
Dahlgren, M. A., Larsson, S., & Walters, S. (2006).
Making the invisible visible. On participation and
communication in a global, web-based master’s
programme. Higher Education, 52(1), 69-93.
Johnson, D. G. (1997). Ethics online. Communications of the ACM, 40(1), 60–65.
Levinson, K. T. (2007). Qualifying online teachers—
Communicative skills and their impact on elearning quality. Education and Information Technologies, 12(1), 41-51.
What are the Rules?
VOLUME 21 NO. 4
Journal of INSTRUCTION DELIVERY SYSTEMS
13
Mishra, P. & Hershey, K. A. (2004). Etiquette and
the Design of Educational Technology. Communications of the ACM, 47(4), 45-49.
Murphy, M. & Levy, M. (2006). Politeness in intercultural email communication: Australian and
Korean perspectives. Journal of Intercultural Communication, issue 12, retrieved from http://
www.immi.se/intercultural/nr12/murphy.htm.
Pankoke-Babatz, U. & Jeffrey, P. (2002). Documented norms and conventions on the Internet. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction,
14(2), 219-235.
Preece, J. (2004). Etiquette online: From nice to
necessary. Communications of the ACM, 47(4), 5661.
14
About the Author
Jessie Aranda teaches second grade and computer technology at Flamingo Elementary School in
Hialeah, FL. He also provides technology workshops
for the faculty and is the school webmaster. He
earned a BS in Information Technology and is currently pursuing an MS/PhD in Computing Technology in Education through Nova Southeastern
University. [email protected]
Journal of INSTRUCTION DELIVERY SYSTEMS VOLUME 21 NO. 4