INTERNET ETIQUETTE (NETIQUETTE) AND

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF COMPUTER ETHICS

Ten Rules of Netiquette

Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. These rules should be
followed and remembered every time by everyone who goes online.

Rule No. 1: Remember the Human

You need to remember that you are talking to a real person when you are online.
Ask yourself when sending and/or posting: Would I say this to the person’s face? If not,
do not send it or post it or chat about it. Always ask permission before posting anything
about someone on the Web.

Rule No. 2: Adhere to the same standards online that you follow in real life

You need to behave the same way online that you do in real life. You need to
remember that you can get caught doing things you should not be doing online just like
you can in real life. You are still talking to a real person with feelings even though you
can’t see them.

Rule No. 3: Know where you are in cyberspace.

Always take a look around when you enter a new domain when surfing the web.
Get a sense of what the discussion group is about before you join it. Be the better person.
If someone is being rude in cyber space, do not make it worse.

Rule No.4: Respect other people’s time and bandwidth.

Remember people have other things to do besides you. You are not the center of
their world. Keep your post and s to a minimum by saying what you want to say. Use the
subject line so the recipient knows what the is about. If you want a response or action
put it in the subject line. Double –check the list of people to whom you are forwarding a
message to make sure no one is on it who shouldn’t be.

Rule No. 5: Make yourself look good online.

Remember to always check your spelling and grammar before posting. Always
know what you are talking about and make sense saying it. Be polite and pleasant to
everyone.

Rule No. 6: Share expert knowledge

Ask questions online. Share what you know online. Post the answers to your
questions online because someone may have the same question you do.
Rule No. 7: Help keep flame wars under control

“Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without
holding back any emotion. Netiquette does not forbid flaming. Netiquette does,
however, forbid people who are flaming to hurt discussion groups by putting the group
down.

Rule No. 8: Respect other people’s privacy

Do not read other people’s mail without their permission. Going through other
people’s things could cost you your job or you could even go to jail. Not respecting other
people’s privacy is bad Netiquette.

Rule No.9: Don’t abuse your power.

Do not take advantage of other people just because you have more knowledge or
power than them. Treat others as you would want them to treat you if the roles were
reversed.

Rule No. 10: Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes.

Do not point out mistakes to people online. Remember that you were once the
new kid on the block. You still need to have good manners even though you are online
and can not see the person face to face.

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF COMPUTER ETHICS

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

Thou shalt not interfere with other people’s computer work.
Thou shalt not snoop around other people’s computer files.
Thou shalt not use a computer to steal
Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness
Thou shalt not copy or use propriety software for which you have not paid.
Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization or proper
compensation.
Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s intellectual output
Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the
system you are designing.
Thou shalt use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow
humans.

References:

Stuart Thompson, Internet Etiquette or Netiquette

https://slideplayer.com/slide/12193531/
Eric Conrad,Joshua Feldman, Ten Commandment of Computer Ethics
CISSP® (Third Edition), 2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/computer-ethics