NETIQUETTE
Concept No.7
“Good communication practice on the Internet is not something one 'learns', but something one 'practices' so as to teach others, less familiar than yourself, how it is done.”(Allen, N.D)
Net etiquette otherwise known as netiquette is a compilation of the do’s and don’ts of online communication and covers such facets as common courtesy, Informal rules of net surfing and how to use text communication just to name a few.
As cyberspace is a virtual world it has evolved its own culture, and with any culture there are conventions of behavior. Netiquette is a collection of rules to prevent people from committing social blunders online and also to teach people how to communicate more effectively in cyberspace in order to create a more harmonious environment for all users.
People are logging onto the internet from all corners of the globe, people from different walks of life with differing understandings of social conventions. It became imperative to create a guideline for online behavior to minimize misunderstandings. With the creation of ARPNET in 1969 a set of rules was created by the technical personnel to facilitate active communication, as more new users known as newbie’s came online social faux pas were becoming a nuisance.
The first instance of netiquette was developed by Xerox in the 1970’s at their PARC facility to help their employees understand the new email system and was dubbed the Electronic Briefing Blurb.
More and more users came online when Cornegie Mellon the first university to be connected using TCP/IP protocol joined the cybersphere. The students of this university wanted to be able to convey emotional states in their emails and to that end they created emoticons, the most common of which is the smiley :-) which was and still is used to convey the feeling of happiness.
Since these early beginnings net etiquette has grown alongside technology, as new hardware and software became available so new rules and updated behavior protocols had to be introduced. Now we have virtual communities where online participants have Avatars, a representation of the user in cyberspace, and game characters who are able to communicate through movement called emotes. In order for harmony online participants of all types of net communication must practice respect and common courtesy because it is easy to forget that you are conversing with another human being.
On some gaming sites the administration has taken steps to regulate speech and behavior. Unfortunately it is very difficult to police. Some of the more successful attempts at this that I have found have been on Disney’s ToonTown and Kingsisle’s Wizard101.
In today’s society the internet has become a way for all peoples to communicate across borders and even language barriers, with the proper use of netiquette such obstacles such as race and religion are no longer a source of controversy online and people are learning to overcome thousands of years worth of social, cultural , racial and religious stigma. Netiquette although created to moderate human interaction on the internet, it has created an environment that makes it possible to overlook the differences and concentrate on our similarities. Now all the human race has to do is transfer these lessons learned in cyberspace into the physical world.
Site 1. http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
Net Etiquette
I found this site to be informative; the writer has gone into enough detail to teach the new surfer how to communicate in effective ways both socially and within the business community. Other topics such as flaming, censorship, online predators, legal and philosophical issues were also covered along with many more relevant subjects. All in all I would say that this site is very well rounded and I would definitely recommend it for further reading to anyone with a burgeoning interest in going online. The author of the book featured on this site is Virginia Shea. Who attended Princeton University and has worked in Silicon Valley since the mid 1980’s, I believe her to be a reliable source of information on this topic.
Site 2. http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html
RFC 1855: Netiquette Guidelines
This site was a very well researched from a variety of sources covering a number of topics. The overall feeling of the document was like that of a text book, though some people may find this a little sterile I found it informative and to the point. At the time this resource was written Sally Hambridge the author was working for Intel Corporation, and as such it can be expected that she was knowledgeable in this field and had the appropriate information available to her. This document covers such topics as One on One Communication, One on Many Communication and Information Services. I believe this page to be an invaluable source of information concerning the rights and wrongs of communicating on the Internet.
Invisibility of Difference
Concept No.8
“The daily practice of electronic communication is shaped by over-familiarity with one's own computer system, and a tendency to assume that as with much more established forms of communication everyone is operating within compatible and similar systems. When in doubt, seek to communicate in ways that are readable and effective for all users, regardless of their particular systems.”(Allen, N.D)
The use of the internet is often hampered by the needs of the user, for example an individual who’s computer is set up for word processing rather than high end graphics display may have difficulties in viewing certain content online, or if a person’s online connection is not very fast for example a dial up connection they may find it very time consuming to download large files, and find watching streaming video a very fragmented experience. These are merely symptoms of a psychological phenomenon the inability of people to see beyond their own requirements and choices also the assumption that everybody else has hardware that is compatible.
I have introduced these examples to show how the difference in hardware configurations can influence online use, which is the underlying cause of the concept known as the Invisibility of Difference. Everybody has their own needs online and their computers setup usually reflects this. However when we communicate online whether it be by email or by webpage we tend not to see beyond our own choices concerning our personal view of what the online experience should be, this is the core of The Invisibility of Difference, our inability to see the limitations of other online users. This could also be attributed to a person’s lack of understanding concerning the inner working of a computer, without the knowledge of how a computer works and which components do what they have no knowledge with which to make a comparison. The same applies to software, were a user may not know the extent of a programs capabilities or hardware requirements. With this shortfall in understanding an invisibility of difference is created.
Awareness of this topic is growing and software companies do take steps to make their product as accessible to as many users as possible. The same can be said of many web sites as they try to accommodate a more viewers. As we know the problem lies in neither of these areas, as I have previously noted it is a psychological state that has been created due to the ever changing and competitiveness of hardware design, and the lack of knowledge concerning its use by the consumer.
The ways in which we can limit this invisibility are in most part simple, effective communication between users to identify limitations can rectify online disruption of communication. For example Web pages that advertise the system requirements for viewing their pages properly. Communication and coordination between software and hardware developers to create systems and programs that are globally compatible would also go a long way to reduce the effect of the invisibility of difference.
In my research on this topic I have found that the human race in general has great difficulty in acknowledging difference, this goes deeper than just internet communication and hardware compatibility problems. The Invisibility of Difference concept can be seen in a variety of different areas, one such that I came across in my research was Women’s rights. I believe that the majority of humanity views what it doesn’t understand as unimportant to their needs, and as we age and become set in our ways change and difference become so much harder to deal with.
Site 1 http://www.networksplus.net/tracyj/everydaythings.pdf
The Design of Everyday Things
Although this site was only an overview of a book, it gave me much to ponder along the lines of user friendly design and compatibility. Though it may not seem to be applicable in the overall look at this concept it did lead me to certain conclusions concerning human behavior and its relationship to the Invisibility of Difference. It drew my attention to certain design methods based on human psychology, and how our memories and perceptions affect our ability to view our surroundings and how to interact with them. The understanding I came to after reading this overview has prompted me to locate the book it was written for.
Site 2 http://weblogs.java.net/blog/johnreynolds/archive/2008/07/most_software_d.html
Most Software Development Obstacles Are?
I discovered this blog and realized that the Invisibility of difference problem is not only a hardware or communication issue but also a software one. The author of this blog a software engineer goes on to say that cultural issues also create a lot of problems for software designers. This page and its accompanying comments opened my eyes to other factors that have an impact on the concept of the invisibility of difference. As this is a blog site mainly for developers and designers to collaborate, and the author of this blog is a software engineer I would have to say that this is a reasonably reliable source of information.
Automation
Concept 10
“Advanced effective internet communicators do not ignore automation, nor use it unthinkingly: they essentially negotiate arrangements with their communications software and review them as necessary.”(Allen, N.D)
Automation is basically the action of taking mundane, time consuming and sometimes labor intensive jobs out of the hands of human beings and give them over to a computer program designed specifically for the required purpose. The concept of automation has been accepted by a large contingent of businesses and government departments in order to increase production and also to create a product that will be consistent. It is not a concept that is restricted to internet communications; it has its uses in many differing Industries. Although in companies such as vehicle manufacturers this does remove much needed jobs from the market place, it also reduces the cost of manufacture and also the price of products in the long term. Automation can also be seen online everywhere from server systems to email filters, the internet is designed to be an automated user friendly environment. The purpose of which is to supply the surfer the knowledge they need to make decisions, whether those decisions are for purchases, the content of emails, which game to play or information retrieval. The question remains whether automation is a good idea. Generally speaking it makes a lot of online experiences possible, search engines direct us to the various sites and pages that have something in common with what we are looking for, and they remove the need for a lot of research. The problem is they are only as reliable as the persons who programmed them and the META data they search through. How many times have we searched for an innocuous piece of information only to be bombarded with pornography? These are only a couple of examples of automation, there are of course many more that cover a large and varied spectrum of online and offline uses.
Is automation a positive step forward or the next step in surrendering our freedom of choice? Ultimately the decision of which information we find relevant and how it is used is up to us the user. How we set up search parameters and filters, gives the applicable program the guidelines it requires to do the assigned task. Automation is a tool, and just like any other tool it can be misused. Therefore, just like everything else in life the choices we make determine the outcome. Does it really save us time to automate certain functions, when the information involved is constantly changing, and we then have to run maintenance and updates on the programs involved? As these programs are used by a vast number of people, the time spent in updating and maintaining the software I believe is miniscule when compared to the savings involved.
Where is all this heading, could it be that automation will eventually relieve us of all the mundane tasks of living, leaving us with a utopian society. Or will it make the human race lazy and eventually unable to care for ourselves. Although these are futuristic views are they really that farfetched, with cutting edge technology on the verge of breaking into quantum processing how far are we from creating a true artificial intelligence that will be charged with the task of ensuring our safety and regulating our lives.
Site 1 http://www.ifac-papersonline.net/cgi-bin/links/page.cgi?g=Cost_Effective_Automation/IFAC_Conference_on_Cost_Effective_Automation_in_Networked_Product_Development_and_Manufacturing/index.html;d=1;browse=a
IFAC-PapersOnLine
I found this page to be a huge source of available articles from varying reliable sources related to a wide variety of online automation topics. Even though it was necessary to sign up and become a member before any papers would become available to me for download. I believe this site to be a valuable resource of information on the concept of automation. I encountered papers ranging from e-maintenance principles to supervisory control and design functionality along with many more which I had a little trouble understanding, but still believe to be very informative. I would recommend this site for anyone doing research on this or any other topic.
Site 2 http://www.osuit.edu/campus_community/cis/files/outlook_training.pdf
Outlook Training
Although this URL is a PDF file I thought it worth mentioning as it covers all aspects related to the e-mail program Outlook. Automation of online communication in a large part includes e-mail and this page describes the uses and setup of the different automated functions found in Outlook, and as most e-mail programs have similar functions I deemed this to be an accurate description of the capabilities found in the majority of e-mail programs. After reviewing the resources and links involved in the manufacture of this document I would have to say that it is a reliable source of information.
The Impact of Text-Based Real Time Chat
Concept 17
“Communicating in real-time with text enables a form of 'authoring of the self' that is similar to the processes of face-to-face speech but which is much more amenable to authorial control, experimentation and reflection. Further, text-based communication carries with it the possibility for multiple, differing conversations occurring simultaneously, relying on the ability of the human brain to deal with text much better than speech.”
(Allen ,N.D)
The ability for self reflection whilst typing out a conversation in a text based chat environment is an essential part of the attraction of chat programs. When conversing with one or more individuals via the keyboard the individual is able to review and edit the format and wording of their message in order to satisfy a need to be accurate and understood. This process requires the sender to be able to put themselves in the recipient’s shoes to ensure that their message is received as intended; using text based chat allows time for the sender to formulate their text in this regard.
Text based chat also allows for the individual to author the recipients perception of the sender, this may seem underhanded but people will tend to type in a fashion that sends an impression that is a perfect representation of how they see themselves. It allows for a wishful figmentation of how they wish to be perceived. This also changes how the person will be received and the context in which the reply will be made. In some respects we edit our self perceptions via the informationally created space that we bring into existence during our conversation. We do this in order to send a representation of ourselves through the medium of text based communication. This allows us to imagine ourselves in close proximity to the other members of the chat group.
Like verbal communication this form of expression allows for multiple conversations, but it differs in the respect that it is not as confusing., With a conference call with multiple people talking we have to be able to identify the talker whilst formulating an appropriate reply to that specific individuals persona. Unlike text based chat where we are able to see the identity of the people we are conversing with and do not have to concern ourselves with learning the speakers identity first. Also with text based chat we are given the time to think about the answers we wish to enter, where as in a verbal communication if we stop to think for too long the flow of the conversation will have moved on and our comment will be obsolete.
Another advantage of text based chat is the ability to have more than one conversation taking place at the same time, and having the written text in front of you to refer back to when the situation requires. This differs from verbal communication as one conversation has to be put on hold, and that can be viewed as being rude and inconsiderate, the person that has been silenced might then feel as though there input is not of interest or that they are not important enough to listen too. This does not have to happen in text based chat, although you have the option of telling the other party that you are involved in another conversation.
In conclusion text based chat has some advantages over verbal communication on the internet; you have the option of meeting more people and conversing with more than one of them at any one time. The venue allows for a more relaxed conversation in an environment that you perceive through your writing which in turn makes it a more appealing place to make friends and get to know people.
Site 1 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/120837771/HTMLSTART
Visualizing Conversation
This article was thoroughly researched and covered such topics as chat circles, message patterns and content patterns. Although this page is a paper in furthering the expressive capabilities of chat programs I found it to be very useful in illuminating certain aspects of the online chat community. I would like to see the culmination of their study put into practice as it would definitely further improve the ability of the text based communicator to accurately portray their line of thinking. Using a more graphical interface to represent certain data such as flow of the conversation and illusive social cues is definitely a step in the right direction.
Site 2 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/120837778/HTMLSTART
Impression Formation in Cyberspace: Online Expectations and
Offline Experiences in Text-based Virtual Communities
If you are searching for a compendium of knowledge concerning the thought processes involved during online chat conversations then look no further. This paper is thoroughly researched and extremely insightful. The author of this page Associate Professor of Anthropology David Jacobson goes into great detail of how our perceptions of both ourselves and others can influence our online conversations and relationships, and how meeting in reality is sometimes not what we imagine it would be online. It also covers such topics as prototype theory, Textual and paralinguistic cues in virtual communities and also images and realities. I believe this to be a very reliable source of information on this subject.
Bilbliography
Net Etiquette
RFC1855:Netiquette Guidelines
Sally Hambridge
24th Oct 1995
The Design of Everyday Things
By Donald A. Norman
By Donald A. Norman
Most Software Development Obstacles Are?
Posted by johnreynolds on July 27, 2008
IFAC Conference on Cost Effective Automation in
Networked Product Development and Manufacturing
Location: Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico
General Chair: Arturo Molina
Program Chair: Heinz-Hermann Erbe
Conference Editor: Arturo Molina; Heinz-Hermann Erbe; Ruben Morales-Menendez; Miguel Ramirez
ISBN: 978-3-902661-32-6
Start Date: Oct 2 2007 12:00AM
End Date: Oct 5 2007 12:00AM
Posted online: Jan 5 2008 10:00AM
General Chair: Arturo Molina
Program Chair: Heinz-Hermann Erbe
Conference Editor: Arturo Molina; Heinz-Hermann Erbe; Ruben Morales-Menendez; Miguel Ramirez
ISBN: 978-3-902661-32-6
Start Date: Oct 2 2007 12:00AM
End Date: Oct 5 2007 12:00AM
Posted online: Jan 5 2008 10:00AM
Outlook Training
By Christopher Yandle
Last updated November 16, 2005
Visualizing Conversation
Published Online: 23 Jun 2006
Impression Formation in Cyberspace: Online Expectations and Offline Experiences in Text-based Virtual Communities
David Jacobson
Published Online: 23 Jun 2006
NETIQUETTE – What is it and why should you care?
By Patricia Yevics Director,
Law Office ManagementMaryland State Bar Association,
Inc.In January, 1999, Bar Bulletin
