Netiquette

Here are few do's and don'ts about communicating in your online courses.

Do…
- Ask questions and engage in conversations as often as possible—feel free to contact the instructor via the discussion forum for questions or via email or other communication.
- Be patient and respectful of others and their ideas and opinions they post online.
- Be prepared for some delays in response time, as "virtual" communication tends to be slower than "face-to-face" communication.
- Contact the instructor if you feel that inappropriate email has been exchanged within the online course.
- Check the syllabus and course policies stated by your instructor to know what to expect about your instructor's turnaround time for responding.

Don’t…
- Use inappropriate language—this includes, but is not limited to, the use of curse words, swearing, or terms that imply inappropriate things.
- Post inappropriate materials—for example, accidentally posting/showing a picture of a nude person or something to that affect would result in great consequences.
- Post in ALL CAPS, as this is perceived as shouting and avoid abbreviations and informal language ("I'll C U L8R").
- Send heated messages even if you are provoked. Likewise, if you should happen to receive a heated message, do not respond to it.
- Send an email to the entire class, unless you feel that everyone must read it.

For more information, review the core rules of netiquette for some more guidelines and expectations on how to behave in an online learning environment.