Netiquette
An old adage says that when it comes to online communication, "be as soft as silk when interpreting the words of others, and as hard as bamboo in editing your own words." Lacking the usual phyical cues such as tone of voice, facial expression and posture, miscommunication is an easier feat online than off. Setting a few rules of conduct for your students can go a long way towards avoiding mis-steps.
- Netiquette Home Page (Albion.com): A good, established source of Netiquette information. One of the oldest sites on the Internet.
The most appropriate etiquette for online communication in educational settings is similar to that of written communication in general; when communicating, consider both the intent of the message and the potential received meaning. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and conduct communication as if it were to occur in a face-to-face setting, in the presence of others. Remember also, that spelling and grammar count; the quality of the message reflects upon the author. The more clearly the message is drafted, the more likely the intended meaning is received. Nonetheless, in live (synchronous) communications, some time saving shortcuts have developed. Some commonly accepted shortcuts are listed here.
| afk | "Away from keyboard" - used to explain a lag in communication |
| LOL | "Laugh out loud" - a reaction to something that is very funny |
| brb | "Be right back" - use if you must step away from the keyboard for a moment |
| L8r | "Later" - a very informal good bye |
| ttyl | "Talk to you later" - an informal good bye |
| wb | "Welcome back" - used to greet someone who has returned to a chat session after being "brb" or "afk" |
| ty | "Thank you" |
| imho | "In my humble opinion" - precedes a statement of strong opinion |
To replace the emotions that are normally conveyed in personal conversation, emoticons are used. These type-written approximations of facial expressions can help to restore some of the emotional intent of the message. Emoticons are not recommended in formal communication.
| :) | Smile | :-D | Big grin |
| ;) | Smile with a wink | :-* | A kiss |
| :-( | Sad | :-P | Sticking tongue out |
| :'-( | Crying | :-O | Wow! or I'm surprised! |
| :~ | Also crying | :-| | Grim or not sure how to react |
| :-)) | Really happy | :- | Perplexed or confused |
| :"> | Embarrassed or blushing | :-x | Also a kiss |
Tidbit:
Sometimes the communication in an online environment can become very heated and even abusive. This is called a flame war. As an instructor, you serve a key role in mitigating and monitoring the communication environment of your course. Some great tips on how to spot and handle communication issues online are available in this article, Online education horror stories worthy of Halloween: A short list of problems and solutions in online instruction (Hailey, Grant-Davie & Hult, 2001) in PDF format.
