The Do's
- Remember you are legally liable for your use of electronic communication. Please review what you have written to ensure that you do not run afoul of any regulations in terms of copyright, obscenity, discrimination or fraud.
- Remember that you are talking with people and ensure that your replies treat others with respect and courtesy at all times.
- Respect privacy. Be careful with personal or confidential information and do not forward or copy another person's statements without permission.
- Remember that items can be copied and forwarded easily. Any message you post or email may be sent to a potential hiring manager, an ex, or a parent.
- Be careful in your use of sarcasm or humor, not everyone has your charming sense of humor. And without the physical cues that accompany it, even people who have a great sense of humor can sometimes miss the joke. Although it may help to use emoticons, i.e. a smiley face :-), in the business world, these are not always considered acceptable.
- Be professional. Avoid text messaging language (e.g., LOL, emoji's, etc.) and check spelling and grammar.
- Identify yourself. You can create a standard signature file, if you would like. Just make certain that it's a reasonable length, 5 lines or less.
- Identify your subject. Be sure to include a subject line with all posts and emails, it makes life much easier when trying to find older messages.
- Verify your reply settings. Anyone who has ever accidentally used "Reply-All", instead of "Reply" knows how embarrassing this can be. Also, make sure that you turn off settings that include the original email or post in your reply, as this can lead to long and confusing responses. If you need to reply directly to something in an earlier post, quote the specific item, rather than including the entire message.
- Be careful with large file attachments, some Internet mail systems will reject large file attachments, including UWW's webmail system. This is particularly true with Powerpoint Presentations. A better solution is to use your D2L provided locker space, if there is a group project that needs to be sent out.
The Dont's
- Don't use slang, colloquialisms or abbreviations. Students in your class may be from countries around the world and may not understand these types of statements.
- Don't use all capitals. This is considered shouting or screaming and is rude.
- Don't send vulgar, abusive or defamatory messages, because, while you may consider them funny, others may see them as crude, vulgar, and horribly offensive. Remember that the jokes that work well with your friends may not work so well with all of your classmates.
- Don't 'flame'. Flaming is sending an angry or insulting message. Direct your critiques at issues, not individuals. We appreciate everyone's right to their opinion and welcome that in online discussions, however, discussions will occasionally result in disagreement. This means that sometimes, people say foolish or insulting things. No matter how much the person may deserve a scathing reply to their idiotic posting, leave that for the professor.
- Don't get involved in a 'flame war'. Rather than argue, it is better to walk away. If you need to confront the person, do it privately, rather than in an open discussion. However, it is better to contact the professor if someone has been horribly offensive or rude in their posts, rather than take matters into your own hands.
- Don't 'spam'. Don't send electronic garbage. Sending junk e-mail, such as advertisements or other unsolicited material, to class lists, newsgroups, or to anyone you don't know is considered 'spamming'. Don't do it.