Remember, remember, before the Eternal September

IDEA N^o 29

NETIQUETTE

In a world without facial expressions and body language, it is easy to offend people without meaning to, and to take offence when it is not intended. To avoid this, a code of behaviour has been established that guides the way that we communicate online.

How we politely use new technology is not a new conundrum. When the telephone was invented, people were often silent when they picked up the receiver, waiting for the caller to introduce themselves before they spoke. Eventually, we learnt to say ‘hello’.

Like the telephone, the Web has its own social conventions. People quickly realized that, online, humour and sarcasm had to be used with care. Insulting exchanges, known as flame wars, were common on the early Net, and sideways smiley faces started appearing to make sure jokes were not misinterpreted (see The Emoticon). Many other inventive uses of typography to portray facial expressions followed. Emoticons are now an essential part of our online vocabulary.

The first generation of Net users also established other conventions to keep things civil. Some are obvious. Read the FAQs before asking a question. Writing in caps is TANTAMOUNT TO SHOUTING. Criticizing people’s grammar is irritating. Hijacking a discussion thread is plain rude. Others are less obvious. Unnecessarily long responses waste people’s time. Compulsory fields on forms should be kept to a minimum. Telling people to ‘click here’ is patronizing.

As the Web evolves, so do the social conventions that govern it. With online maps at our fingertips, it is no longer acceptable to ask for directions, and RTFM (read the f***ing manual) has been replaced with LMGTFY (let me Google that for you).

But it’s social networks that offer the real opportunities for digital faux pas. When clothing company Kenneth Cole joked on Twitter ‘Millions are in uproar in #CAIRO. Rumor has it they heard our new spring collection is available online’, it was not well received. Equally, the furniture store Habitat caused outrage when it hijacked a hashtag associated with the Iranian elections. Tweets promoting soft furnishings appearing among messages of police brutality caused widespread offence.

This new way of interacting can be daunting, but ultimately the rules are very simple. Adhere to the same standards of behaviour online that you follow in real life and you will not go far wrong ;-)■

In 1993, AOL offered access to USENET and flooded it with thousands of new users. In previous years the September influx of students learned the ropes by October and 11 months of relative stability followed. This was no longer the case, the newbies just kept coming. Now known as the ‘Eternal September’, it was a pivotal point in the mass adoption of the Net. Pictured here, the German chapter of the ‘No More AOL CDs’ campaign.