Netiquette

1. Before you write, think about your reader, yourself, and your image. Remember, the person on the other side is human, too. Make sure that your messages use a tone and language your readers will understand and appreciate; the way you write to your teacher is probably not the same way you write to a fellow student. Be sure that your communication presents you in the way you want-and be willing to stand behind what you say.
2. Treat e-mail you receive as confidential unless the sender specifically gives you permission to share it with others.
3. Respect the copyright and license agreements of material written by others. If you quote someone from a book or magazine, mention your source.
4. Do not participate in chain letters. Doing so could result in the loss of on-line privileges.
5. Typing messages in ALL CAPS is equal to shouting. DON'T SHOUT! A single word in uppercase for emphasis is fine, but not much more.
6. Use abbreviations sparingly; overuse can make your message difficult to understand.
7. Be careful with humor. Use emoticons, or Smileys, such as :) or the <g> symbol for "grin" if you think your tone is unclear or if you want to emphasize that you're being friendly or kidding around.
8. Reply promptly to e-mail received from others. Let them know that their messages got through and that you value their correspondence.
9. When replying to specific topics in another person's message, include only the pertinent phrases or sentences. Don't return the entire message in your reply-it is a waste of resources and usually unnecessary. Preface reply portions with a greater-than arrow (>).
10. If you receive a message that was intended for another person, either return it to its sender or forward it to the recipient-but let both parties know that you received it in error.
11. Don't flame or reply to a provocative message when you're upset. Wait a while to cool down before answering. Always assume that every word you send is part of a permanent document. Don't say something you'll be sorry for later.
12. Before participating in chat, forums, or e-mail on services like America Online or Prodigy, make sure you're familiar with their rules of netiquette.
 
(Donald Rose. Adapted from: Minding your Cybermanners on the internet)