Reading Assignment 3 Practice "Netiquette": Be Kind While You're Online 71

72 Chapetr 2 Thinking Critically about the Internet

Put O ut the Flam es

3 One thing you should avoid when communica ting online is

flaming. Flaming takes place when someone sends a hostile' online
message. To .c..r..e...a..t..e. .p...o..s....t.i..v...e... relations hips when
you're online, avoid sending such messages.
4 Some Inte rnet users believe occasional "flaming" is all right.
These users argue that anger is .a.p..p...r.o...p..r.i..a...t..e. when
people are face to
face. Then, it should also be ap propriate online. But few .a. .d..v..o..c...a...t.e...
"flame wars"-a lo ng series of insults' exchanged between a few
people. This kind of exchange can dominate a newsgroup6 or
chatroo m.7
s Many newsgroups have written .p...o..l..i.c. .i.e...s..about what
kinds of messages are permitted. Often you'll receive e-mail with
these rules
when you subscri be.8 Whe n you're new to a newsgroup, spend a
little time reading messages without replying to them. By observing
wha t people write , you'll learn the unwritten rules for that group.

2. hos•tile (hos' t;'.ll) adj. Relating to or characteristics of an enemy.

3. insult (In-sult' ) n. Offensive action or remarks.
4. news•group (nooz'groop') n. An area on a computer network, especially
the Internet, devoted to the discussion of a specific topic.
5. chat•room (chat' room' ) n. A website where people can have
online conversations with others who are on the Internet.
6. sub•scribe (s;'.lb-scrib') intr.v. To pay regularly for something such as issues of a
magazine or tickets to a series of performances; to have regular messages about
events sent through the Internet.
 Reading Assignment 3 Practice "Netiquette": Be Kind While You're Online 73

Respect Others'Time and Privacy

6 People often use the Inte rn et hoping to save time-not waste it.
You can he lp them by typing brief messages. Get into the habit of
getting to the point. If you c rea te yo u r own webpage, limit its
download time9 by using simple graphics. Complex graphics take a
long time to download; this can make people frus t ra ted. Upd ate ' 0
your page regularly and include your e-mail addres_s. Fina lly , let
other people open their own e-mail messages. Read in g people's
e-mail is the same as opening letters from their mailboxes.

Keep th.e Medi u_m in Mind

7 When you are communicating by computer, there is no
nonverbal" communication. This means there are no
hand
.............................
gestures12 and facial expressions.13 In face-to-face conversation,
you use the subtle cues14 of nonverbal communication to help you
un de rsta nd another person's message. But when your_ _li n k to
another person takes place only through words on a screen, those
cues vanish.

7. down• load time (doun'lod' tim) n.Length of time it takes to transfer

informa tion from a central computer to another computer.
8. up•date (up dat') tv.v.To bring up to date; inform of new information
or recent changes.
9. non• ver•bal (nbn-vur' b l) adj. Not using words.
10. hand ges•ture (hand jes'ch r) n. Movement of the hands.
11. fa•cial ex•pres•sion (fa'sh I Ik-spresh' n) n. Movements of the face to
communicate.
12. cue (kyoo) n. Word or signal for action.
74 Chapter 2 Thinking Critically about the Internet

8 Use humor-especially sarcasm"- with caution . A joke that's

funny when you tell it to a person might offend someone when you
write it and send it by computer. Especially, use emoticons with
care. Emoticons are combinations of keyboard characters that
represent an emotion, such as :>). (Turn the book sideways to see a
smiling face at the end of the previous sentence.) Emoticons are
informal. They may not be appropriate for some lnternet:based
communications. For example, you would not want to send e-mails
with emoticons to someone who might hire you for a job.
9 Netiq ue tt e also means avoiding messages THAT APPEAR IN ALL
UPPERCASE LETTERS. Writ ing with the shift key•' held down to make
capitals is equ_a l to shouting during a face-to-face conversation.

Remember-Behind Eve y Computer Is a Person

10 The heart of netiquette is to remember that the person on the
other end is a human being. Virgi nia Shea, _a uthor _ of Netiquette,
suggests that you remember the prim_ e rule of netiquette by
asking yourse lf one question whenever you're at the keyboa rd:"
Woul d you say it to the person's face?

Source: Adapted from Ellis, D. (2000). Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, p. 298.

13. sar•casm (sar'kaz';)m) n. A sharply mocking, often ironic remark

intended to wound.
14. shift key (shift ke) n. Key on a computer keyboard that changes letters to
UPPERCASE.
15. key-board (ke'b6rd') n. A set of keys, as on a piano or a com puter.
 Reading Assignment 3 Practice "Netiquette•: Be Kind While You're Online 75

c::J Demonstrating Comprehension

EXERCISE m Identifying main ideas

Review Reading Selection 3 again. What is the main idea of each section?
Read the sentences and circle the one that best expres.ses the main idea.
Compare your main idea with your partner's. The first one has been done
for you as an example.

Secti
on
I Main
idea -
Practice"Netiquett @ It is important to use"netiqutete," or
e" good manners while you are
communicating
b) People who online.
dominate the Net
do this. ---
-- -
Put Out the a) Flaming creates positive
Flames relationships online. a hositle
b) Sending someone
message onlineis called flaming.

Respect Others' Reading people's e-mail is the same as

Time opening letters from their mailboxes.
andPrivacy Respecting people's time and privacy is
important.

Keep When you communicate online,avodi

theMedium messages that may offend or be
in Mind misunderstood.
Use humor with caution.
Remember- There is a person on the other end.
Behind Every You should question yourself when
Computer Is a you're at the keyboar.d
Person
76 Chapter 2 Thinking Critically about theInternet

c::J Learning Vocabulary

EX E RCI SE Studying prefixes that make opposites

Look at these four words from Reading Selection 3. Go back to the reading
selection and underline these words. What do they have in co:rz_mon?

1. informal (12)
3. unwritten (15)
2. unspoken (1 2)
4. nonverbal (1 7)

Prefixes

In each word, th e prefix (in-, un-, and non-) makes th e word an

opposit e. Informal means "not for mal." Unspoken m eans "not spoken."
Unwritten means"not writt en," and nonverbal means"not verbal."

Here are other words with prefixesthat mean "not."

. Impossible means"not possible:'
Disinterested means "not interested."

EXERCISE : Working with prefixes

Do you know other words that change their meanings because of these
prefixes? Work with a partner. In the chart below, list as many words as you
can think of that have an opposite meaning when these prefixes are added.
Examples are provided.

in- un- non- im- dis-

irtf Drw,a.J wtSpDktrt rtM\/erba.J i disin.--1:e.re.s-t.ui
mpossible.
 Reading Assignment 3 Practice "Netiquette": Be Kind While You're Online n

EXERC • Studying academic vocabulary

These words from Reading Selection 3 are commonly found in academic
texts. If you do not know the meaning of a word, you can look it up in a
dictionary. However, often in English a word has more than one meaning.
Reread the sentences each of these vocabulary words is m. Look at the
dictionary definitions of the words. Choose the definition that goes with
how the word is used in the text.
1. dominate (11 1)
10. finally (1 6)
2. equivalent ( 1)
11. medium ( 7)
3. comm unity ( 2)
12. communication (1 7)
4 . create( 3)
13. subtle ( 7)
5. positive (1 3)
14. link(1 7)
6. appropriate (14)
15. equal ( 9)
7. advocate ( 4)
16. prime (1 10)
8 . series ( 4)
17. author( 10)
9. policies (11 5 )

Choose the definition that goes with how the word was used in the reading
selection.

c:::::J Definitions
1. advo cate noun, verb (14)
1. A person who supports a cause.
2. Push for something.
3. Alawyer.

2. appropriate verb, adjective (14)

1. To make money available.
2. Suitable or correct.
3.. Take witho ut permission or take with force.

3. author noun, verb( 10)

1. A person who writes books.
2. To be the writer of something.
3. Someone who causes someth ing.

4. communication noun (1 7)
1. The act of passing on information.
2. A message.
3. Understanding the message.
 5. community noun, adjective (1 2)
1. A group of people.
2. A group of people with the same racial and religious background.
3. Belonging to and maintained by and for the local community.

6. . create verb (13)

1. To give life to.
2. Bring into existence.
3. . Pursue a creative activity; be engaged in a creative activity.

7. dominate verb (11)

1. To have more.
2. Be in control.
3. Look down on.

8. equal noun, verb, adjective (1 9)

1. A person who is at the same social level as another.
2. The same as.
3. Alike.

9. equivalent noun, adjective (1 1)

1. A person or thing equal to another in value.
2. Equal in amount or value.
3. Being essentially equal to something. "a wish that was equivalent
to a command"
10. finally adverb (1 6)
1. After a long period of time.
2. The item at the end.
3. As the end result.

11. link noun, verb (17)

1. To connect things.
2. Make a logical or causal connection.
3. Be joined.

12. medium noun, adjective (1 7)

1. A means to communicate.
2. In the middle; not big or small.
3. Someone who speaks with spirits.
 Reading Assignment 3 Practice "Netiquette": Be Kind While You're Online 79

13 . positive adjective (13)

1. Hopeful; optimistic.
2. Certain; definite.
3. Affirmative.
14. prime noun, adjective (1 10)
1. A number that has no factor but itself and 1.
2. First in rank or degree.
3. The superior type.

c:::J Questions for Review

EXERCISE , Talking about what you have read

One way to remember what you read is to discuss it with someone else. Try
to remember what you read in Selection 3.
1. On the lines below, write as many detailsas you can remember from
each section. Do not look at the reading again.
2. . Compare your answers with a partner's.
3. Add any details you may have missed.
4. Reread the selection and check your answers.

c:::J Practice "Netiquette: "Be Kind While You're Online

Introduction

Put Out the Flames

Respect Others' Time and Privacy

Keep the Medium in Mind

Remember- Behind Every Computer Is a Person