I Found an Old Netiquette Guide from 1997

[kurohaato]

Okay the title is a little hyperbole since one of my professors made us read it before we could start posting on discussion boards but the point still stands! I have the link and I want to share it with the world!

Here's the link to view the guide in full. TL;DR of its base rules:

• We are all human. Be nice.
• Follow the same rules and standards you would offline. Be ethical and keep your activity legal.
• Stay on topic. Memes are for meme boards, gossip is for gossip sites, discussion threads are for discussion forums, and you should keep it that way.
• Respect everyone's time. Don't post just to post.
• Use proper spelling and grammar. Make your posts make sense.
• Share knowledge. Cite your sources and don't share misinformation.
• Keep arguments under control. See point 4.
• Respect other's privacy. See point 2.
• Don't abuse your power. Authority and knowledge shouldn't be used to take advantage of others.
• Forgive mistakes. See point 1.

Since this is a discussion forum, let's discuss!  What do you think's outdated or what would you add? Personally I feel like the guide's attitude towards swearing is outdated. Swear words have become common online. Obviously we shouldn't swear in roblox chats and other places meant for children, but in the 25-ish years since the guide was published I'd say it's no longer a digital faux pas. That or I'm just in a very swear-happy part of the internet.

(initial edit: I had a typo in the title! sorry  )

[Mayflower]

I have to disagree with with 5 a whole lot, by now the Internet has fully enjoyed the benefits of ignoring rules of language
see things like forgor, eeby, and other very internet words and sentence structures

Nettiquite like language is changing as needed for the times and I think nowadays the internet is much more chaotic and free spirited than in 1998

(also it seems nowadays 6. and 4. are just, not a thing, at least in very public spaces like twitter)

[lostletters]

I would appreciate proper grammar because it would make things so much faster to read and understand; however, I don't think most folks want or know how to use it, so I'm not holding out hope that this will ever be the case. I'd be grateful if more people just used commas when they're needed.

With respect to rule 4, I think that the burden is now on individuals to not waste their own time on the internet, so I'd amend that one with something like "mute/block liberally and often to avoid wasting your own time."

[Còbra!]

I imagine 4 was very important back then since most people used dial-up, which was not only very slow, but also charged by the minute. Time was literally money.

I have to disagree with with 5 a whole lot, by now the Internet has fully enjoyed the benefits of ignoring rules of language
see things like forgor, eeby, and other very internet words and sentence structures

I actually find them to be very cringy, probably because I’m a miserable old(ish) man and those are very recent terms. Likely made by people who grew up on the internet, and possibly terminally online.

Some older ones make sense to me like the classic “lol” and “omg”, because I believe they came from texting, where you had to use a numpad. Nobody said them offline unironically, so depending on the contexts, they were funny!

[probablyawizard]

i mostly agree with all of the rules :3
on rule 5, i definitely would be a hypocrite if i said we should all type using proper grammar, spelling, etc. but i do think everyone should just make an effort to make their posts Readable, especially for accessibility reasons. that's the problem with "typing quirks/gimmicks". i feel neutral on them, but i've observed that there's only two ways they go:
1. they're plain inaccessible for screen reader users and dyslexic people
2. they have a translation
if you're going to type out a whole translation, is a typing gimmick REALLY worth the hassle? 

with rule 4, it'd be hard to constitute which posts are Worthy and not Worthy. i do think it's a good rule though, if interpreted as "if you think that your post is a waste of time, don't post it".

[teatime]

i think 5 and 6 focusing on your knowledge and how you should share it is just good etiquette that should be practiced more often. it's not practiced that much anymore but oh boy do i wish it was!!! on twitter you have a tiny word limit which can make intent harder to parse in some situations, but everywhere else? you should share sources and be aware that you may not know everything. the swearing bit of rule 5 is pretty outdated tho 

4 is soemwhat outdated due to the prevalence of shitposting  and i think there is some value to a good shitpost at the right time!

for rule 9 most power you have comes from higher follower count or visibility as opposed to the permissions you have, so the powers you could abuse are a little different (disinformation, for one). notable exceptions are discord, mastodons, and any forum/IM client, which have power mirroring the types already mentioned in rule 9. for most platforms, power is also concentrated in the hands of a few corporations, although they aren't going to stop abusing their power anytime soon

[Mayflower]

I actually find them to be very cringy, probably because I’m a miserable old(ish) man and those are very recent terms. Likely made by people who grew up on the internet, and possibly terminally online.

Fair! Not every change that happens is for everyone, and thats alright! It just proves that the internet has a corner for everyone.

And let me amend my opinion about Rule 5 then:

Grammar and spelling can be safely discarded and turned ridiculous as much as the audience its for allows
(Thank you Melooon for reminding me of the phrase! My Mind doesnt work before very well before 4pm haha)

[Melooon]

I think it's interesting to note that all these rules are in this forum's rules; but after.. 26 years (ooph) we word them a little differently!

On the point of grammar, I think we don't use that word because it means a very wide range of things to different people; for example, some people see it as a very strict set of rules, where as I would see it more as a set of social rules.
For example:
If I was writing to a college professor I might use formal English "Hello, I am sorry I cannot come because I am etc etc"
Whereas if I was writing to a younger cousin Id use a younger form of grammar "hi, sorry i cant make it, next time!"
Both of those examples are valid forms of grammar in my eyes, but they have different rules and priorities - that's a mentality that I think has largely evolved with the internet.

Grammar and spelling can be safely discarded and turned ridiculous as much as the weakest link will allow?

I agree you should reword this; calling someone a "weakest link" is never a good look to have in any context  Satire and wordplay are both excellent forms of comedy and art; but only if you truly understand and respect the things you are satirising. However, I think maybe what your trying to say is that grammar can (and should be) tailored to the audience that's gonna be reading it, and that's very true!

Number 4 is something I think is really important that a lot of people have forgotten! Things like "venting" (posting long rants intended to express oneself for one's own gratification) are really disrespectful in my eyes. If someone takes the time to read your post, it should offer some value, whether that's information, a new opinion or just a smile 

Rules 9 is super interesting to see, I remember this happening a lot in the older web - that powerplay where someone would have a script/game mod I wanted to download, and they'd make you jump through hoops to get it.. That's definitely something I'm glad to see a lot less of these days!

I guess all rules or codes of conduct are works in progress, they change and evolve with the times, but it's fun to see where we have come from and where we are going! 

[Melooon]

I'd like to bump this thread because I'm interested in people's ideas around what Netiquette today is; all of the guides and articles (that I've seen) about it were written almost 30 years ago and I think that's quite telling about how we engage with the web and the expectations we have of netiquette.

What would you add or change today? What are the social codes of the modern web that we should aim for?

[arcus]

I'd like to bump this thread because I'm interested in people's ideas around what Netiquette today is; all of the guides and articles (that I've seen) about it were written almost 30 years ago and I think that's quite telling about how we engage with the web and the expectations we have of netiquette.

This isn't intended to be another "social media is bad" post, but bear with me.

Moderation does not exist nor do privacy settings. Members are to be curated with liberal blocking. Modern social media posts are personal property to their original authors, with replies discouraged outside of specific circumstances. This culture has effected the net as a whole.

In contrast to forum etiquette of the past, forum posts belonged to their communities. Privacy systems were well used, and used as a signal as to who can reply. Profile messages here are not used as casually as they were used in the past. The privacy system here is rarely used. Thread authors get upset when threads don't go as envisioned. Many threads are one sided, filled with posts that reply to the questions raised in the original post without engaging with anyone involved.

What would you add or change today? What are the social codes of the modern web that we should aim for?

Focus should return to privacy settings with replies in threads to be more communal. As to how I would update the codes listed in the original post:

We are all human. Be nice.

This is short and simple and I would prefer not to change it. Unfortunately, as a community rule it has to be specific for the people that believe you can be nice and racist.

Follow the same rules and standards you would offline. Be ethical and follow the laws of the server.

The focus on legality should be in regard to the server and avoiding jail time for the admins. Laws are different everywhere are not a measure of morality.

Respect everyone's time. Read other's posts before replying.

This may need to be more specific, but it's a start.

Use proper spelling and grammar. Make your posts easier to read. Do not correct other's grammar unsolicited.

Proper grammar should be encouraged for easier reading, but not strictly enforced. Grammar elitism should stay in the past.

And one I would add:

Public posts and profiles are public. Use privacy systems to control who can reply to you.

[BlazingCobaltX]

1-2 and 8-10 seem most logical and I would love for this sort of etiquette to be standard again. However, some places on the internet actually thrive by actively breaking rules 3-7. And I can't say I mind: If I look up certain communities on Reddit, it is definitely entertaining for a moment to see people cuss the hell out of each other for having a different opinion. Sorry, guilty pleasure.

Like you said, Melon, a lot of things like grammar moreso depend on the culture of a website, forum or community. As such, it's hard to speak of universal rules applicable everywhere. Even 2 is not that commonplace when you see the amount of communities that openly discuss piracy (and good that they do!!). If we are talking about communities that promote civil, in-depth discussions, I would like for them to follow at least those rules I mentioned at the beginning. Everywhere else is more of a free game, and because of that I would also be in support of adding a rule like "Respect your own time, block liberally and disengage from toxic communities (YMMV)."

[wolfkitty42]

On the point of grammar, I think we don't use that word because it means a very wide range of things to different people; for example, some people see it as a very strict set of rules, where as I would see it more as a set of social rules.
For example:
If I was writing to a college professor I might use formal English "Hello, I am sorry I cannot come because I am etc etc"
Whereas if I was writing to a younger cousin Id use a younger form of grammar "hi, sorry i cant make it, next time!"
Both of those examples are valid forms of grammar in my eyes, but they have different rules and priorities - that's a mentality that I think has largely evolved with the internet.

I think that this is a really, really good example for this situation! There are a lot of different ways to type, and things like grammar really affect the way your speech is "heard". Online, you can't see faces or hear voices unless it's in a call.... So people express themselves lots of different ways with their words!

Someone with a traditionally grammatically correct typing style may come across as a more professional or intellectual individual. People might use all lowercase to give a more friendly, down to earth feeling. Emoticons are always applicable- And you can really get creative with them! I've picked up a lot of more customized emoticons over time. :D

I find it so helpful to be able to shift my grammar contextually. Sometimes I feel sad,  so I add periods. Sometimes I am really excited and need you to know that!!!!!! Sometimes, something feels Important so I will capitalize it..... None of my grammar rules are universal, but they make sense and help me express myself and my feelings in an online medium. I think almost everyone has a unique style and places where they vary based on what they're trying to communicate. It will not always be grammatically correct. A lot of the  times, my casual grammar is.... er..... X_X a wee bit scuffed, perhaps...? But I think that online conversational grammar has different rules from IRL grammar or structured writing, and the variety it encourages is beneficial to communication!

As well, the Internet has a diverse range of people.... And all sorts of people bring all sorts of dialects to cyberspace! So not only are you running into Internet-driven grammar, you're also encountering grammar that has its own history offline! I think that the multilingual nature of the Internet is also very important to consider when we speak about what kind of language we observe on the internet.