From: leigh@unibase.Unibase.SK.CA (Leigh Calnek)
Subject: Net Etiquette
Organization: Unibase Telecom Ltd.
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 15:52:24 GMT

(Reposted from BANTHY-M)

 Subject: Bangkok Project Net Etiquette
 To: banthy
 Date: Wed, 7 Oct 92 16:56:15 MDT
 X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11s]
 
 Bangkok Project - Etiquette Corner!
 =================================================
 Welcome to Etiquette corner! 
 
 The first three topics in the Bangkok Project will be commencing
 on Oct. 12.  I'd like to welcome you to the conferences and invite
 you to be ACTIVE particpants. 
 
 The following guidelines were submitted by Angela Castro
 from a list made a few years ago by
 members of AOLIN (Australian Open Learning Information Network),
 and amended by suggestions from others.  The guidelines are
 posted here to help participants in the Bangkok Project make the
 most effective use of this media.  
 
 Most of the Bangkok Project messages are being "ported" to at
 least 30 separate discussions lists, networks and stand alone
 conferencing systems. None of us have any experience dealing with
 such a large, and very loosely distributed communications forum -
 thus the guidelines are intended to help us communicate
 effectively. 
 
 
 1.       Length of message
 Brevity  is a definite virtue. Try to restrict a message, if
 possible, to a screen; two screen pages are still tolerable.
 Brevity is recommended if only for the two following reasons
 alone (there are many others ):
 a.    Reading long text on the screen can be tiresome for both
           the eye and mind;
 b.    Some recipients might have a local disk quota restriction
           or a less- than-well-endowed system to enable them to
           cope with lengthy and copious messages.  If you have a
           long message which is certain to exceed two screen
           pages, break it up into a few short messages and denote
           its structure and sequence through the subject line.
 
 
 2.      Writing style
 Use short sentences and simple English.  Avoid rambling running
 prose with complex syntax and a multitude of co-ordinate and
 subordinate clauses.
 
 
 3.       Spacing
 Neat, meaningful spacing can ease mental processing. For
 examples:
 a.   Have short paragraphs separated by a blank line rather 
      than long paragraphs with a tab indent for the first line.
 b.   Put questions on separate lines rather than stringing them 
      altogether in one paragraph. This makes it easier for people
      to annotate or answer them.
 
 
 4.       Numbered items
 Ideas, arguments, etc. are clearer if presented in point form,
 and if they are numbered as well, it will make cross referencing
 even easier.
 
 
 5.       Annotation
 a. Do not reproduce the entire original, extract only the parts
      that you wish to comment on.
 b. If your local software does not allow  annotation, then
      paraphrase or summarize the original au that readers who
      have not read the original message can still understand the
      background and follow the argument.
 
 
 6.       Upper case
 The upper case is often used among networkers to denote emphasis,
 but using too much of it can produce what is know as the "BANG"
 effect. Words in upper case shout at you and generate a "noisy"
 reading environment.
 
 
 7.       Subject  line
 If  you use the "reply" command to respond to a message on the
 Internet, in most cases, that will automatically generate a RE
 before the subject line of the original. Now if your response is
 then read and replied by a third person who reacts to some side
 issues that you raised,  his message by then will no longer be a
 true reply to the first message and the old subject line can then
 be very misleading. In such an instance, it  would be better if
 the third person could refresh the subject line and put in
 something appropriate to reflect the content of her message.
 
 Unless people have sophisticated search programs to help them
 retrieve and select messages of interest to them, their
 processing decision might have to rely entirely on the subject
 line. So be considerate and word it sensibly.
 
 
 8.       Wit and humor
 A small and occasional dose of wit and humor does wonders for a
 stuffy conference that is beginning to take itself too seriously
 and can also break the ice for a conference with a hesitant
 start.  Too much clowning around and too many flippant jokes or
 remarks, however, can be irritating and offensive to most people.
 
 
 9.       Spontaneous or considered response
 While much can be said in praise of spontaneity, if you are
 dealing with a sensitive or controversial topic, it would be
 better if you could give yourself a little more time to reflect
 on the arguments and counter arguments, then compose a considered
 response that you will not regret or feel embarrassed afterwards.
 Remember that electronic documents travel fast, get reproduced
 easily and they live long in people's files!
 
 
 10.      Etiquette and protocols
 a. Don't grab centre stage all the time, let others have a turn
      during a conference.
 b. Acknowledge and thank people for their comments on your views.
      (Should do that privately rather than publicly.)
 c. Avoid digressing in a conference unless the software
      allows branching off into a sub-conference, otherwise
      you could cause the whole conference to stray from its
      original theme.
 
 
 11. Identification
 Identify yourself and the Topic area that you are responding too.
 Some distribution lists will be carrying up to three Bangkok
 Project topics at the same time. A relevant Subject heading, will
 help keep these topics separated.
 -__________________
 Terry Anderson
 Dept. of Educational Psychology                     Ph 403-284-0922
 University of Calgary                              Fax 403-289-4471    
 Calgary, AB. Canada T2N 1N4              InterNet ANDERSON@ACS.UCALGARY.CA
 

-- 

Leigh Calnek
Internet: leigh@unibase.unibase.sk.ca
voice: 306/789-9007
Newsgroups: alt.education.bangkok.theory