alaric hunter's List: Term 10: Netiquette

Netiquette is a collection of social conventions which dictate the way in which people interact with each other on the Internet. The term is a portmanteau of “net,” short for “Internet,” and “etiquette.” Like social etiquette in real life, the rules of netiquette are commonly in flux, and they may vary significantly between different groups of Internet users and across different cultures. Some websites even post their own netiquette guidelines under headings such as “rules” or “comment policies” to provide directions to their users.

Original rules in the early days of the Internet were designed to facilitate clear communication. They revolved around adopting conventions which would make it easy to read newsgroups, emails, list serves, bulletin boards, and so forth. For example, users were discouraged from typing in all caps, as it looks aggressive, and they were told to keep signatures attached to emails and messages simple to avoid cluttering the screens of users trying to read. As the Internet became more complex, the rules of netiquette also evolved.

Different websites may have different standards. On some websites, for example, users have an anything goes policy, which can include personal attacks, libelous statements, and the distribution of unsavory material. Other websites exert more control over the content posted by users, attempting to keep conservations clean, germane, and interesting. Moderators may be used to enforce these rules, and people who routinely violate netiquette can find themselves banned from a site.