T171 TMA1- Conventions of Online Conferencing - Netiquette

Part 1 - Key points:

1) Consensus in conferences
2) Thank, acknowledge and support you fellow students
3) Acknowledge before differing
4) Speak from your own viewpoint
5) Avoid "flaming spirals"
6) Careful of emotions in messages
7) Avoid "shouting"
8) Don't overquote
9) Where to write your message
10) Keep to the conference subject
11) Keep messages short
12) Use the subject line wisely
13) Copyright issues
14) Libel issues

Consensus in conferences: The main aim of a conference is for all the participants to arrive at a solution to a problem that is acceptable to all. That is to say don't try to impose your views on the conference without discussion, be prepare to alter your standpoint. (Theory)

Thank, acknowledge and support you fellow students: Common courtesy to thank you colleagues for their input, acknowledging and supporting them. (Opinion)

Acknowledge before differing: Acknowledge the other person's point of view before expressing your own view. (Opinion)

Avoid "flaming spirals": A 'flaming spiral' is a heated argument electronic style. Usually caused by people with diametrically opposite views who will not back down. This can be very disruptive to a conference and should be avoided at all costs. (Observation)

Careful of emotions in messages: The use of emotions in messages can be none beneficial especially if someone takes offence - can cause flaming spirals in not nipped in the bud. (Observation)

Avoid "shouting": This is when the sender types the message in uppercase only. This in my experience of newsgroups on the Net is a major cause of flaming spirals. (Observation)

Don't overquote: There is a tendency especially if using Outlook of similar packages to repeat the entirety of the original message when replying, this produces long and difficult messages for the recipient to read. Ideally you should just use short quotes from the original covering the subject of your reply. (Opinion)

Where to write your message: If your message is personal in nature send it email don't post it to a conference where all members of the conference can read it. (Opinion)

Keep to the conference subject: Keep to the conference subject, this will make the conference easier to use, there is nothing worse than a conference that is clogged up with messages that are of no relevance. (Opinion)

Keep messages short: Nobody is going to be bothered to read a message that goes on and on i.e. multiple screens of text. Messages should be short and to the point. . (Opinion)

Use the subject line wisely: Use of the subject line is important since this is all the reader will see before opening your message, it should reflect the subject matter of your message. . (Opinion)

Copyright issues: Do not post anything to a conference that is not free or that you have copyright to. (Observation)

Libel issues: Be careful what you say on a conference as you might be committing a libellous act. . (Observation)

Gary Alexander is writing this paper as guidance to the intricacies of online conferencing specifically for novice users of FirstClass. Gary Alexander is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Telematics within the Technology Department at the Open University (Source: Gary's Home Page link from the Netiquette document). In this post he has completed a lot of work in the field on distant learning with the emphasis on distance learning through computers. The purpose of the paper is to introduce new users of FirstClass to Netiquette, which they will need some knowledge of to be able to part in online discussions without causing disruption to others. This in effect is defining is some form the behaviour required when online and what actions to avoid and also which ones are encouraged i.e. acknowledging before differing.

Email to Conference

This part of the question required comment on an email submitted to the tutor group conference on it adherance to the principles of Netiquette. I have removed it.

Part 2

Three factors I consider most significant for effective group working are:

1) Keep the messages short and too the point, obviously the length is going to depend on the topic of conversation, personally I think anything more than a screenfull is too much.

2) Keep to the subject of the conference, there is nothing worse than looking through a conference that is cluttered up with messages of little relevance to the subject in question.

3) Be polite when you have a difference of opinion with others if you take notice of their messages, it could well be that you have got the wrong idea, in other words don't become entrenched in your position.