Netiquette For College Students

Any e-mail message

Remember that any comments you post on a friend's wall will be seen by many other people. Even if you are sure your friend knows you are joking, other people may not be aware that it is a joke.

Using correct spelling and grammar is the easiest way to make sure that the person receiving your message understands what you want to say. Too many misspelled words or grammar errors can lead to misunderstandings between you and the person receiving the email message.

If you send an e-mail message that requires a reply, you should expect to receive a reply via e-mail. Talking to the person by phone or in person won't help if they haven't read the e-mail, and if they receive a lot of e-mail, they may not remember your message or their reply to your message.

Timeliness is important when replying to most e-mail messages, and if possible, you should reply to a message as soon as you are able to. However, it's fine to take a little time to formulate a reply that requires thought or research. If it will take you more than a day or so to give a complete reply, you should send a short message within 24-48 hours stating why you are delayed and when they can expect to receive a complete response.

There is usually no reason to attach a document that includes only text to an e-mail message, because it will take longer for the recipient to read and reply to your message if they have to open a separate file to do so.

You should attach a file if the file contains formatting or pictures that cannot be included in the original message.

Privacy settings on Facebook and other social networking websites allow users to have control over who can access their information. By adjusting these settings, users can ensure that their information is only visible to those they grant permission to. This allows users to have a level of control and privacy over their personal information on these platforms.

At this time, few (if any) social networking websites delete any content automatically. While it is common to see only new material on the homepage of Facebook or MySpace, older material is typically available for an indefinite period of time. Public Twitter feeds are even stored in the Library of Congress as a permanent record.

The subject line should be a short phrase, usually no more than 3-5 words, giving the recipient enough information to identify the topic of your message without having to read the message itself.

Deleting original content will not automatically delete content that was copied or shared by other users.

It is easy to share and copy content posted in most social networking websites, so the person who originally posts new material can quickly lose control over who has access to that material.

The Reply to All button should be used only if everyone who received the original message needs to know your reply. This can be useful for a group discussion, where you want to share your opinion with everyone else in the group.

Use REPLY (not REPLY TO ALL) if your message should go only to the person who sent out the message.

E-mail messages should be treated like the text on a postcard, with the assumption that it could be read by anyone at any time. Remember that while you can delete e-mail from your own account, you cannot control whether or not the recipient of the e-mail will delete it, and some corporations maintain a record of all e-mail sent through their e-mail system.

Do take time to check that you actually sent the message and that you sent the message to the correct e-mail address.

It does happen on occasion that even the most conscientious e-mail user overlooks a message or accidentally deletes a message. If it has been at least a couple of days since you sent the original message, it is better to resend the entire message with a comment added, than it is to simply send a new message asking them to reply to the old message. They cannot reply to a message that they cannot find or might have deleted.

If you feel that you have waited too long for a reply (more than a couple of days), then you should try calling the person by phone if you cannot meet with them in person, before complaining to other people. There could be a network error or personal emergency that prevents them from reading e-mail.

Even if you are attaching a file and/or using a detailed subject line, it does not hurt to include text describing your reason for sending the e-mail in the body.

You should also sign all e-mail messages, to be sure that the recipient knows who is sending the e-mail. For family and friends, a first name or nickname is usually sufficient. For school-related or professional e-mail, use the full name the recipient knows you by, especially if the wrong name appears in the FROM line.

While providing a phone number or alternate e-mail address can be useful for some messages, remember that the recipient is most likely to respond to the e-mail address you sent the message from.

Any text created by any individual in the United States is automatically protected by US Copyright law. For this reason, you should forward e-mail messages only when you have the permission from the person who originally created the e-mail, which may not be the person you received the e-mail from.

When you do forward e-mail messages, take time to remove any e-mail addresses or other contact information from the original e-mail, although you should include the name of the author. Also consider whether or not the person(s) who will receive the forwarded message really want to receive it.

Capitalization is part of the English spelling system. Putting all of your text in capital letters not only makes it appear that you are shouting at the person you are sending the message to, but it reflects on your ability to use the keyboard and appropriate spelling.

The SAVE button should be used to save an e-mail that you cannot send immediately, either because you don't have time to complete the message or because you should take time to review it before sending it.

Most e-mail systems automatically save a copy of any e-mail you send in a folder called something like "Sent Items" or "Sent Mail," so there is usually no reason to save an e-mail before sending it. If you need to print a message that you have mailed, you can print the message saved in that folder.

Do not send an attachment without getting permission from the recipient first. When you do send an attachment, make sure to use an appropriate subject line and at least a little text in the body to make sure that the recipient knows what the attachment is and why you are sending it.

If you receive an e-mail with an attachment, and you do not know who the message is from or why they are sending an attachment, you should not open the attachment. Attachments can contain computer viruses.

Any reply sent via e-mail should include enough information about the original e-mail that the recipient doesn't have to go look for the old e-mail to know what you are talking about.

Most e-mail systems automatically include the text from the original e-mail at the bottom of the new reply, and it's fine to leave that text there as a record. However, if you are "recycling" an e-mail instead of creating a new e-mail on a completely different topic, you should delete the text and change the subject line.