Article 11: Netiquette: A Lost Cause,
Or Worth Saving?
by Tony Duthoo Copyright � 2006
by Tony Duthoo. All rights reserved.
People have
asked me lately, "Why not write another article?"
However, despite the very kind and praising words after
The Art of Laudatio, my first article from 2004, I
always felt that one should only write if one has something
important to say. I believe the subject of this
article is important enough to write about.
Etiquette on the Net, or netiquette as it is also
called, seems to be fading away. A regrettable
evolution, in my opinion.
Now I can hear
you ask, "What, exactly, is 'netiquette'?" Obviously
it has nothing to do with what fork to use for salmon, or
who enters a building first. Netiquette happens on the
World Wide Web, which is a �virtual world," as opposed to
the real, day-to-day world we live in.
But even in a virtual world, etiquette should be present.
Etiquette, as in the polite and correct interaction between
two or more people, ought to happen. Often the Net is
felt to be a safe haven, where our interactions with others
are without consequence -- the other person can�t physically
hurt you, and interactions can be as fleeting as dust in the
wind.
But who was it
who wrote that �the pen is mightier than the sword?"
And what a truth it is! (For those of you who
wondered, the answer to that question is Edward
Bulwer-Lytton.) We often seem to forget how powerful
the word is and what damage our literary battles can have on
the human psychology. Bleeding of the body can be
stopped, but how does one stop the bleeding of the soul, or
the heart, for that matter?
The international aspect of the World Wide Web adds another
aspect to netiquette, when multiple languages and ethnic
backgrounds come into play. Well-meant words can, by
simple misunderstandings, be the reasons for conflict and
emotional pain. And if one brings time zones, stress
or family situations in the equation, even my head
starts to hurt.
I�m sure you all, dear readers, will be able to empathize
one way or another with what is written above. Perhaps
you felt misunderstood or hurt, or perhaps you even
inflicted it, willingly or not. All from behind your
computer, an �impenetrable� fortress but as fragile as glass
when looked upon closer.
�What can we do,� I hear you ask. Well, awareness of
the problem is a major step in solving it, that�s for sure.
Attentiveness and compassion in our interactions on the Net
are also an inevitable part of the solution. A bit too
vague, you say? How do we do this, you might wonder?
All right, let�s see if we can elaborate on this.
Netiquette in General Communications
Whether you are a participant in the award process (either
seeker or giver), or simply communicating over the Web, one
thing that we should always keep in mind is that we live in
a fast society. In netiquette terms, this leads to the
fact that email and information spread over the Net should
happen equally fast and, because it�s the Net, there is
always the risk of some uncertainty in the functionality of
the devices used: that is, computers, mail servers, hosting
companies, etc.
Thus,
acknowledgment of communication is very important.
Whenever you receive a mail with a question or an action to
be taken, be so polite as to reply immediately, and if
possible, mention a timeframe needed to handle the
situation. This might seem frivolous, even ridiculous,
but it is without a doubt a major element of stress nowadays
in communication over the Internet.
What about the tone? I think it speaks for itself that
politeness is a must. But we should also try to
achieve a neutral and professional tone, with the recipient
in mind. Allow me to clarify that last part: this
means we should not use any archaic words or language
structure, nor dialects or words or sentences that require a
dictionary on the other end of the line.
Netiquette in the Award-Giving Process
A notification of receipt of the application is to be
preferred, not only because it�s polite: it�s again an
indication of the fast society we live in that requires a
form of acknowledgement.
Now, how about
automated responses? One can argue that the end result
is the same, but I tend to disagree. An automated
response is a clear example of �virtual living:� you let, so
to speak, the virtuality do the talking for you and hence
confirm the linguistic barriers present, the exact barriers
we wish to overcome. You should really try to
communicate as if you were talking in the real world
face-to-face.
Another aspect of good netiquette is, in my opinion,
feedback. Feedback is a way to respect the efforts
that the applicant made when applying in the first place.
I do understand that some applicants apply without reading
our criteria and hence use little or no effort;
nevertheless, some feedback remains advisable. Because
we can�t allow that our own AP, which is basically a virtual
�machine,� will in turn machinate the communication, the AP
should always be only a means to an end.
With these thoughts, I would like to wind up this article
with the hope that you will reflect upon the way you
communicate on the Web, a process which will inevitably lead
to finer netiquette -- thus creating a better atmosphere for
all who use the Net daily.
Tony
Duthoo is the owner of Vie�s Inn of Wonders� Awards.
He has made it his most important job to award intellectual
content on the Web that allows people to reflect upon
current situations of life in all of its aspects.
Besides his
awards program, Tony is Rating Program Manager for United
Web Site Award Givers (UWSAG) and an evaluator for
WebsAwards and Saturn Index, as well as an
evaluation team member of O.N.Z.C.D.A.�