A tutor's guide to teaching and learning at UQ - TEDI - University of ...

Section 4: eLearning 39NetiquetteHere are some key points that you may wish to convey to your students to help you setthe ground rules for text-based communication:♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Don’t type messages in all caps – IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING!Avoid pasting any fancy signatures, animations or graphics into your messagesunless they are really necessary for your topic.Keep messages succinct and to the point. Some people are paying for internetaccess by the hour and so it is costing them time and money to read yourposting.Clearly identify your topic in the subject line so that people can decide whetherto read your posting.Remember to re-read your message before posting, people can easily mistakeyour tone. Be particularly careful about use of humour and sarcasm – it canoften be taken the wrong way in this medium – this can cause ‘flaming’.When posting a message always be polite and respectful of other participantsand their point of view.When responding to another person’s posting leave only the relevant parts oftheir original message in the text so that others can make sense of your message.Do not use the virtual space for your own commercial benefit. Unsolicited massmailingadvertisements amounts to junk mail on the Internet and is generallydespised. It is called ‘spamming’.Remember that anything you post to the internet is a public comment that ispublished. This means that what you post to bulletin boards, newsgroups andeven in private email can be used in grievance procedures and even litigation.All quotes and sources need to be properly attributed to the author(s).Copyrighted materials should be treated according to copyright laws.