The Prime Nuts of Netiquette. (In other words, these are the basics, and like everything digital, evolves regularly!)

Personal Communications via Email (electronic mail)

1.) Write correctly with proper English grammar and punctuation. Do not use Spanglish or Jive-talk or street talk or phonetizations of English or any other language.

2.) Write short and to the point: do not ramble.

3.) Write as if you were putting the information on a post card that anyone and everyone can see. (Keep personal information and feelings on confidential mail that is sent via regular United States postal service, FedEx, or similar.

4.) Never send chain letters no matter how cute or lucky you need to feel. AND particularly if there is some sort of threat for not participating.

5.) Always check the subject line of emails that you receive as there may be viruses attached once they are opened to your computer.

6.) Make your subject line short and clear so it will get past filters and get read by the people for which they are meant (remember, some people receive hundreds of valid emails daily NOT including junk emails!)

7.) Remember to politely wait for a response to your email (several days is not uncommon for busy people that have higher priorities, are located in other time zones around the world, and/or may not have a ready response for your without doing some research.

8.) Do not respond to messages by copying and pasting from the original email text you received-this is very bad manners.

9.) Make sure the subject line is CLEAR, SHORT, and CORRECT (didn't I mention this earlier? Yes!)

10.) NEVER send email which has defamatory, slanderous, cursing language as you never know who will receive a forwarded copy!

11.) If you expect your email to be taken seriously, ALWAYS sign your real name, email return address, title.

Public Writing in Blogs, Wikis

1.) Generally observe all of the rules for Personal Communications above unless you are UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN (18) when you should use your avatar assigned by the Librarian as you should NOT be identifying yourself with first and last name, home or school addresses, friend's or family's names or any identifying information, telephone numbers, or email addresses on a public site!

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