Netiquette: online courtesy

Gabriela Lozano Pasión - 200136885

Nowadays, in the digital sphere, as well as in the social relations that we maintain
in the physical world, a series of rules of conduct and courtesy are necessary,
which must be respected. In this globalized world and with the rise of the Internet, it
is important to know what the "rules" or appropriate behaviors are in our digital
presence. This set of rules of courtesy on the Internet is known as netiquette.

Just as it happens in offline conversations in person, where certain ways that are
considered polite and friendly have become widespread: when greeting someone,
you should shake their hand. If someone comes in behind you, you hold the door
open for them. Similarly, there are unwritten rules of good manners on the Internet.

Therefore, the netiquette is not a set of legal norms. Whoever violates them will not
face legal consequences. Nor is there a single mandatory netiquette canon
everywhere. The specific rules of courtesy in a forum, in a community or in a group
on social networks, are determined by the operators or moderators themselves.

Communication through digital media tempts people to ignore that they are talking
to real people. The possibility of keeping profiles under pseudonyms reinforces
negative behaviors, and many users believe that in this way they are not
responsible for their behavior. Because of this, many communities put their
netiquette in writing, also to have a basis on which to exclude and block users who
violate it.

In general, before participating in forums, chats, social networks or sending emails,

it is worth thinking about how we express ourselves. Thus, some of the most
common rules in netiquette are:

 Introduce ourselves and greet in our first intervention.

 Respect the privacy, data and information of other people.
 Limit the use of exclamation marks, abbreviations, emojis and capital letters.
 Do not lose the human sense, show empathy.
 Respect the time of the people receiving our content.
 Follow the same rules of behavior online as in real contact, with respect.

Technology is a tool that in recent years has facilitated the online

communication of societies. Most people intuitively adhere to netiquette when
posting online, regardless of whether they have read the platform's guidelines
or not. At the end of the day, netiquette is general courtesy extended to the
specific rules of interaction on the Internet.

Your online activities would reflect on you and your company no matter how
much it deviates from how you present yourself in-person. Netiquette is
important in running a business: one misjudged post on your social media page
or one ill-advised email sent to an investor or potential client could spell the
downfall of your business or at the very least mar the reputation you worked so
hard to build.

Once you recognize that customers/clients want to do business with a company

they can trust, by observing call or email ethics, or the online platforms you
utilize, you create a great impression not only for yourself, but for your brand as
well. When you are consistently considerate and sensitive, you display the
utmost professionalism that eventually builds and strengthens credibility. Then
once you are credible enough, trust just comes out naturally from people.

In conclusion, if you follow the usual manners of everyday life, you will rarely
have any problems. Netiquette is not something to be learned literally. If you
are open to suggestions and feedback, are tolerant and appreciative of other
members, and participate constructively in online discussions, you do not have
to worry about netiquette.
References

Brenna, D. (2021). Powerline Leads. Why Is Netiquette Important for Businesses.

Retrieved from: https://medium.com/powerline-leads/why-is-netiquette-important-
for-businesses-1747dad2f904

IONOS (2021). Netiquette: lo que deberías saber sobre los debates en Internet.
Retreived from: https://www.ionos.es/digitalguide/online-marketing/redes-
sociales/netiquette/

Romero, R. (2020). Universidad Panamericana. QUÉ ES ‘NETIQUETTE’ Y POR

QUÉ LO NECESITAS EN TU EMPRESA. Retreived from:
https://historico.up.edu.mx/es/noticias/37118/que-es-netiquette-y-por-que-lo-
necesitas-en-tu-empresa