• AT&T DSL Internet
• Verizon DSL Service
• Qwest Internet
• Comcast Internet
• Time Warner Internet
• Cox Cable Internet
• Charter Cable Internet
• NetZero HiSpeed

Satellite Internet

• HughesNet Satellite
• Wildblue Satellite
• Dish Network Satellite
• DIRECTV Satellite
• Skyway USA Satellite
• Starband Satellite

Fiber Optic Internet

• AT&T U-Verse Review
• Verizon FiOS Review

High Speed Topics

• ISP Comparison
• Internet Speed Test
• DSL vs Cable
• Free Internet Service

Home > Articles > Netiquette Guidelines

Guide To Netiquette

The word, "Netiquette", is a combination of the words "network" and "etiquette". It refers to a set of conventions employed by Internet users to govern their conduct on the Web, including when sending email, posting on websites, or using live text service. By adhering to these basic netiquette guidelines, you will go a long way towards keeping your online interactions positive, friendly, and helpful.

E-Mail Etiquette

• When sending an e-mail, avoid sending large files. Some recipients will not be able to download these files easily because they do not have High Speed Internet, and the e-mail may clog their email program, making it impossible for them to receive important messages.
• Make e-mails short and sweet. E-mail readers want to know the point of the message at the beginning.
• While e-mail is less formal than traditional mail, it does not need to be sloppy. Abbreviations are appropriate when emailing friends, but when e-mailing people for business reasons, use full words.
• Avoid typing in all capital letters. This is read as if you are shouting.
• Use proper capitalization in your sentences. E-mails that are written in all lowercase letters look unprofessional.
• Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) function appropriately. This is not used to keep the fact that you are copying the message to someone a secret. It is used to hide e-mail addresses when you are sending out a bulk message.
• Keep in mind that e-mails are not a form of private communication. They can be retrieved if necessary, so make sure all communication is appropriate and directed at the right person.
• Remember that group e-mails are often annoying, so use them only when they are helpful to all of the people who will be receiving the message.
• Remember to add something useful in the subject line of the e-mail. If sending e-mail within a company, use the subject line to show exactly what the recipient needs to do with the information in the email.
• Never send spam or junk e-mail to professional contacts. Only send these to friends if you know they like receiving them.
• Avoid sarcasm and jokes in e-mail, unless the meaning is very obvious. Your tone of voice cannot be heard in your e-mail.

Mailing List Etiquette

• Avoid junk messages in your mailing list. Common junk messages include welcome posts, unsubscribe messages, or confirmation posts. The whole group does not want to see your "me too" message!
• When replying to someone else's post, delete the quoted portion unless it is a necessary part of your message. Readers do not want to have to scroll through page after page of quoted information.
• Use proper grammar. People who are reading your post want to be able to clearly understand what you are saying.
• Craft your post carefully. Do not indent paragraphs, but rather put a blank line between your paragraphs.
• Avoid using bold or italics in your message, because many e-mail programs will not transfer this, and the reader will see the HTML tag instead of your message.
• Before you start posting to the mailing list, be a lurker. This will give you the chance to get a feel for the tone of the group, allowing you to make your posts relevant.
• Keep posts in a particular thread on the topic. You may be building friendships with the people in the group, but the other members do not want to hear your personal communication. Do that via private message so that everyone else does not have to read it.
• Avoid advertising in a mailing list, even if your service or product is a perfect fit.
• Keep your signature line to a minimum. Your name and a link to your site are sufficient. People do not want to see the same quote every time you post to the list.
• Be polite! Mailing lists are not places to disparage other people, and doing so will probably get you removed from the group.

WWW Etiquette

• Keep websites small enough that people with dialup access can open the site in a reasonable amount of time.
• If you post downloadable files, like videos or audio files, put the size of the file next to it.
• If your site opens with an intro, put a link on it that allows the user to skip the intro if they have a slow Internet connection or the right plug in to view the presentation.
• Keep advertising unobtrusive on the site. While you want to make money from the ads, you do not want them to detract from the content of your site. Especially avoid ads that make annoying noises or flash brightly at the visitor.
• Do not put features on your site that will "take control" of the user's browser. For instance, excessive pop up windows or programs that automatically resize the browser are annoying to users.
• Make your website compatible with most of the popular browsers so that the visitor is not forced to change browsers.
• Make it possible to navigate the site without Flash. Some visitors will not have Flash and will not want to download it.
• Keep your URL short and sweet. Visitors may want to copy and paste it somewhere else online, and if it is very long this can create problems.
• If you have audio or video on your site, do not have it start automatically. A visitor that is looking for something specific on your site does not want to be blasted with your play list when he first arrives.
• Use web safe fonts. Visitors who cannot easily read the font on your site due to an incompatible browser will not stay on your site long.

Internet Safety Etiquette

• Never give out your contact information on a public website, and even in private communication, do so with caution.
• Do not ask others to reveal personal information online. For instance, do not ask someone in a forum what city they live in. This is best done through e-mail or private message if it is needed.
• If you receive a threatening email message, do not respond. The sender may be fishing for information.
• Remember that chat rooms are unregulated, so you have no way of knowing for sure who you are talking to, and they have no way of knowing who you are either.
• Learn to think before posting on a public forum, including FaceBook or MySpace. These posts are visible to the world, so make sure you want the information shared.
• Choose passwords that are not obvious. Hackers can easily guess your pet's name or your birthday. Use both letters and numbers in your passwords so that they are as secure as possible.
• Do not reply to e-mails that appear to be from your credit card company or bank. If there is a question about your account, go directly to the website, because the e-mail could be a phishing email looking for your account information.
• When using social networking websites, be selective as to the people you add as friends or people in your network.
• If you make a decision to meet someone that you have met online, only do so in a public place, and only if you are an adult. Children and teens should never make plans to meet people they met online, because chances are high they are child predators.
• Keep information about others private just as you would your own information.
• Do not forward questionable e-mail messages. They may contain viruses that you do not want to pass on to your friends. Also, install virus protection on your computer so bug-laden emails are not automatically forwarded to those in your address book.

You can use our site to learn more about High Speed Internet topics and to review several different types of Internet providers.