Minding your manners online

May 13, 2019

Business, Social, Youth

Keeping in touch with others online happens every day and for the most part of it. Whether it’s a business or social relationship, online interaction is fast, easy and convenient. As almost everyone is interacting online, are basic good manners and etiquette still being observed? Will our sense of respect towards others diminish if we don’t see or hear the person we are interacting with?

Netizen – On google

Netizen – /ˈnɛtɪzn/

noun

INFORMAL

A user of the internet, especially a habitual or keen one.

We are still human

There is a human being on the ‘other side’. Be respectful when commenting, avoid personal attacks and don’t write anything you would feel uncomfortable saying face to face. If you’re angry, cool off and wait until you calm down before responding to messages.

Know your boundaries

Although boundaries online may be hard to define, there are a few tips to follow – Post photos of yourself and yourself only unless you have asked permission from the other person/s. Uploading is so fast that many simply don’t bother asking. If you are at a wedding, never post photos before the couple have done so unless they say it’s fine. So be mindful of oversharing – it can have its consequences. If you had a bad day at work, don’t express your frustration online. If you’re after a promotion, this could easily impact your chance of getting it.

Virtual impressions

Apart from your photos, another way to project a great virtual impression of yourself is by following grammar and punctuation rules in your posts and comments. A simple comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence so be mindful and check your text before pressing the ‘share’ button.

For example: “Let’s eat, grandma” has a totally different meaning when the comma is left out – “Let’s eat grandma”.

Humour and sarcasm

As entertaining as you may wish to be, remember that it is good to be funny as long as the joke can be understood, shared at the right time and defintely not rude or arrogant.

Citing sources, content and ideas

If you are sharing a post, an image or content from another site or source, cite them appropriately. It’s respectful and in line with proper digital communication etiquette.

This was a blog post written for http://www.indulge.com.mt.