By Erin C . Markus
EdTech 521
Fall 2009

Online communication is when a person
“talks” to other people using the internet as
a tool for communication. This may be
between two people back and forth, or a
large group of people at one time.

Online communication tools may be:
 E-mail
 Instant Messaging
 Chat rooms
 Blogs
 Texting on phones or PDA’s
 Social Networking Sites (Facebook, MySpace)

What is Netiquette? It is not just a silly word.
Let’s break it down:
Net= Network
Etiquette= proper ways to handle oneself
Net + Etiquette = Netiquette!

Do you sit properly at the dinner table?
Do you shake hands with somebody new?
When you speak to someone, do you want
them to understand your words and feelings?
Did you learn to say “please” and “thank you”
as a child?
When you run into someone, do you say
“excuse me?”

Did you answer “Yes” to all of the previous
questions?
If so, you have learned how to use “Etiquette”
when in society.
Netiquette works the same way.

Just like using proper etiquette while around
others, it is equally important to use proper
“netiquette” when operating in an online
environment.
In the following slides, you will learn more
about how Netiquette works and see some
examples of good and bad Netiquette.

Just like in face-to-face communication, it is
possible to yell at someone using the
internet.
In online communication, YELLING AT SOMEONE
IS WHEN YOU WRITE IN ALL CAPITALS!!

You can use capitals when emphasizing a word.
Example: I can’t believe you bought the car
AND the stereo all in one day.
This would be YELLING:
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU BOUGHT THE CAR AND
THE STEREO ALL IN ONE DAY!

What is an emoticon?
Emo= Emotion
Icon= Computer generated symbol
Emotions + Icons = Emoticons

Emoticons can be used when having an
informal conversation with a person or
group. Using emoticons tells the other
readers how you are feeling while you are
typing.

Some Emoticons can be computer generated.

Some Emoticons you can generate yourself.
:) Happy :P Tongue out
:( Sad <3 Love
;) Wink :O Shock
:D Big Grin :/ Annoyed

Acronyms are capital letters put together to
represent a longer phrase. Acronyms are
used in many different forms of
communication, some informal and some
formal. It is important to learn the
difference between formal and informal use
of acronyms.

Formal acronyms are generally used in work,
medical, or school settings to represent
names of places, procedures, or products.
Examples:
RNLT: Report no later than
EOD: End of Day
ASAP: As soon as Possible
NYC: New York City

Informal acronyms are most commonly seen in
online communication for fun and not
related to official circumstances.
Examples:
LOL: Laugh Out Loud
ROFL: Rolling On Floor Laughing
TTYL: Talk To You Later
OMG: Oh, My Goodness!

Okay Not Okay
 E-mail between friends
 Online chat rooms for
fun
 Texting between friends
 Instant Messaging
between friends
 Informal conversations
between group
members in a class
 Informal conversation
with classmates or
teachers
 In an official assignment
that must be turned in
 When communicating
an important issue with
your teacher or
administrators
 When having a group
conversation that will
be submitted for
grading
 When your entire group
agrees the time is not
right for using these
(serious talk)

When you are talking in an online
conversation, you need to be careful about
how you word things and what you say. It is
very easy to mis-understand others words
because you may not understand their
feelings at the time.
Tip: Read the sentence back to yourself, if it
does not sound polite to you, then it
definitely will not to the reader on the other
end.

1. Do not dominate the conversation
2. Keep conversation open-ended so others
can input their opinions
3. Do not be quick to judge others comments,
ask them questions if you are confused
4. Make sure everybody is included in the
conversations and reference other’s
statements in your own
5. Use proper formal and informal Netiquette
and know when to differentiate the two

When the rules of Netiquette and online
communication are followed, learning can be
a fun experience. Enjoy using the technology
of today, but remember these important tips.