Taken from the University of Maryland



Netiquette and Group Dynamics
 
 
This refers to your efforts to create a sense of online community. Positive climate building can reduce anxiety about communicating online, and contribute to a positive collegial environment. Climate building can be developed by: 

    * Use of first names by participants. 
    * Responding promptly to messages sent to you. 
    * Use of reinforcement phrases (i.e., "Good idea!" or "Thanks for the suggestions," etc.). 
    * Use of personalizing remarks (i.e., a reference to where you are working -- home, office, terminal, what is happening around you, the weather, etc.).
    * Avoiding hostile or curt comments. No objectionable, sexist, or racist language will be tolerated. 
    * Displaying humour. 
    * Promoting cooperation by offering assistance and support to other participants and by sharing ideas. 

Beyond Netiquette: Dos and Don'ts
 

    * Demonstrating courtesy online is fundamental. (Absolutely no abusive or libelous comments will be permitted.) 
    * Use only your real first and last name online. 
    * Confidentiality: No one else should be given access to any of the conferences (either viewing onscreen or in print), without the previous consent of all participants and conferees. 
    * Copyright & Plagiarism: Don't use the words or text of others without proper acknowledgement of the source (if this was in some public source), or -- if private (as in a conference) unless you first have the author's permission. 
    * The use of humor can be very tricky; sometimes it is seen as sarcasm or derision rather than as funny. Symbols or parenthetic phrases (e.g., :-) or "ha! ha!") can help to convey emotional tone and help to prevent misunderstandings.
