1.1 Features of good netiquette
Poor netiquette can stop other participants from responding to you and stifle interaction. This section helps you to avoid poor netiquette by introducing the features of good netiquette.
Activity 2 Identifying good netiquette
Table 1 lists some aspects that make up good netiquette (Elearning infographics, 2019).
- Can you identify why these features are important on an online learning forum?
- Can you think of any more features and why these may also be important?
You can record your thoughts in the blank column.
| Feature of good netiquette | Why do you think this feature is important on an online forum? |
|---|---|
Reading forum posts thoroughly before you respond |
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Avoid responding in capital letters |
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Avoid using sarcasm |
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Respect other people’s opinions even if you don’t agree with them |
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Be kind and respectful |
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Be as concise as you can |
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Keep an open mind and adopt a forgiving and empathic approach |
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Use the terms ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ if you are asking for assistance |
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Try to avoid correcting spelling and punctuation errors made by other people on the forum |
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| Read your posts before posting to check for errors and the accuracy of your post and consider whether anything could be misinterpreted | |
Keep to the focus of the thread |
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Discussion
It is important to consider all of the features identified in Table 1 when reading and contributing to an online forum. By responding to a post, even briefly, you are clearly identifying that it has been read and acknowledging the contribution that someone has made to posting their ideas. It may have taken a lot of time and effort to post and so, as you began to think about in Session 3, it is important to focus on considering the feelings of other contributors when crafting your reply – just as you would in a face-to-face setting. This can then support other participants to contribute further. As you also saw in Session 3, this helps the conversation to flow.
By keeping your posts concise, relevant and to the point, there is more chance that other people will read it all and respond to the points you have made (Vonderwell, 2003, cited in University of Waterloo, no date). It is also useful to read all of the posts in a thread before responding because a question may already have been asked or answered (Elearning infographics, 2019).
Other participants may have posted something that you do not agree with. But by contributing a different view or perspective, respectfully and using constructive language, you can help to further develop the discussion. Constructive discussion like this keeps you open to new ideas (Saint Paul University, no date) which you can acknowledge. Such new ideas may support or challenge the way you think, which is an integral and dynamic part of the learning process.
It is important to remember that, without visual and auditory cues, the content of posts can be misinterpreted. Avoiding the use of capital letters, ambiguous terms, jokes or sarcasm can help to reduce the possibility of this. Think carefully about the language you use. Remember to treat other people on an online learning forum as you would want to be treated yourself.
If you feel particularly strongly about a post, take time to reply (University of Waterloo, no date). It is easy to respond quickly and then regret it. A post might have been written without sufficient thought, or in haste, with the person being unaware of the potential for offence. Everyone can make mistakes! If you have any serious concerns, you could report this to the forum moderator.
In the next section, you will look at some of the barriers that may prevent you, or others, from contributing on an online learning forum.