TOP 10 RULES (continued)
Did you guess the number 10 rule? “No.” That’s okay. I got it wrong too. Well, here is the final DON’T:
10. DO NOT FORWARD INAPPROPRIATE JOKES, ANY CHAIN LETTERS, ETC.: Be very careful of attachments or any other material that are not of the professional kind. If they look suspicious, don’t open them and hit delete. If you know the source and you open the material, inspect it. If it’s off-color, potentially offensive, or inappropriate for professional consumption, delete. Do not forward unprofessional material or spam to colleagues and students.
As a humorist, I often recommend that faculty, staff, and students send each other “appropriate” jokes, cartoons, pics, and video clips for stress relief and possible class or conference presentation use. The operative word here is relief. No it isn’t. It’s appropriate. The humor can serve important functions, but it must be handled by a trained professional; it should not be attempted at home by rank amateurs. Don’t throw the baby …!
Tomorrow, I’ll summarize the list, mention some other rules you may have to honor in your institution, and offer an epilogue. We’re nearing the end. Hang in there.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
TOP 10 RULES (continued)
Here are the 1st 3
NETIQUETTE DON’TS or AVOIDS:
7. DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPS: Messages typed in ALL caps or grossly enlarged scripts are interpreted as shouting, screaming, or yelling. It also hurts your eyeballs. DON’T DO IT!
Caps and monster script are okay for heads or occasional emphasis. Just don’t overdo it. (note: typing in all lower-case letters may be interpreted as not caring.)
8. AVOID FLAMING: Do not make or respond to personal insults called “flames” or pick a fight, attack, or disrespect a colleague for any reason at any time. Rudeness is rampant on the Internet. It is so much easier to insult someone in print than face to face. With the rather spirited discussions on listservs and group member comments, don’t be tempted to step over the line by insulting or harassing someone. When in doubt, don’t comment.
9. AVOID MULTIPOSTING, CROSSPOSTING, OFF-TOPIC POSTING, AND HIJACKING A DISCUSSION THREAD: If you send out an announcement, promotion, discussion question, or any other message, try not to post on every group, network, or listserv where a large number of the same colleagues will receive it. For example, this overlap can occur between a professional listserv and several LinkedIn groups in the same discipline. That overlap with repeated messages can be very annoying, even if you apologize upfront for crossposting, which most people do. Be careful with your posts.
Also, don’t derail discussions with irrelevant comments. Stay on point with the flow of the conversation. Your contribution should keep it moving forward. This includes jokes that can interrupt the discussion.
On occasion, I have violated this rule by injecting some incongruous humor when the discussion gets very heated. Such levity may not be appreciated by all, although listserv members totally ignore it. I’m ashamed of myself for doing that. I regret that violation, but I repented and smacked myself with a whisk broom. There is an appropriate time for humor and I have to be more sensitive to that timing.
My final blog in this series will describe the number 10 “don’t,” plus provide a summary and epilogue for the previous 57 varieties of blogs. Can you guess number 10? I don’t know about you, but as a sifter and violator, I’m learning a lot from this series.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
