TASK: QUESTION FOUR

10 Examples of bad digital etiquette

It is well known that classroom etiquette is crucial for the learning environment, you could imagine how much of would you could learn in a lecture that was very rowdy and you were distracted the whole time…very little! Just like how in the lecture room you need good etiquette, you also need good etiquette on the internet or what we usually to call “netiquette”.

 

The following are some examples of bad digital etiquette:

    1. Not respecting peoples’ privacy online:  it is regarded as bad netiquette to share or post any kind of information about another person online without their permission. Even if they post that information first you are still supposed to ask. 

    2. Not including context: it is considered bad netiquette not to include relevant information from the original post when commenting on an existing post or message thread. You can create confusion for others reading your comment because they won’t know what you where referring to.

    3. Not proof reading: you should always reread what you’ve just typed before you post or send a message or else you could say something that you didn’t actually mean to say, and it will already be out there for everyone to see! The entire tone of the message could be changed by just one typo or autocorrect mistake and could possibly lead to embarrassment and unnecessary distress and confusion for the recipient.

    4. Inappropriate jokes: it is thought to be bad netiquette to make (what some may consider) inappropriate jokes when sending messages and especially when replying to a message as you are not aware of how the person you’re talking to is feeling at that very moment. Your joke may come across as hurtful to the recipient.

      5. Ignoring people who need your help: when you’re on social media and someone directly asks you to help them and you then ignore their request to help them…it will be regarded as bad netiquette. Can’t or don’t know how to help them? try to find someone you can refer them to or at least reply to them stating that you don’t know how to help them. But don’t ignore them.

      6. Spamming others: it will be considered bad netiquette to be sending a chain of continuous messages to an individual or company on social media to gain attention. That kind of demeanor could result in consequences like being banned from social media, finned ect.

     7. Catfishing: this is when you pretend to be someone else on social media. Using someone else’s name, photos or both. This is regarded as bad netiquette and can cause a lot of emotional distress to the person you’re lying to about who you really are, and you could destroy your relationship with them.

     8. Not allowing others to express themselves: it is considered bad netiquette to not allow someone else to express their views on a subject on social media as everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

    9. Using capital letters all the time:  

   10. Arguing with people: it is not productive and good manners to be arguing with someone online. As said above everyone is entitled to their own opinion and what you had read could be not what the person who sent the message intended to say. Because you are unable to see the persons face through the phone you are not always able to decode the messages received properly and may come across as offensive to you and you are quick to retaliate, but it was not that persons intention to hurt you at all.

References 

The Cyber Smile Foundation. 2020. Examples of bad netiquette, 22 July 2020.  [Online]. Available at: https://www.cybersmile.org/what-we-do/advice-help/netiquette/examples-of-bad-netiquette [Accessed 17 July 2020]