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The "Netiquette & Info Tech Culture" column is written by various authors to help persons new to networking and related information technology deal effectively with the social side of networking. Featuring another excerpt from 'A Guide to Electronic Communication and Network Etiquette," by UCD Network Administrator Joan Gargano, this installment addresses the differences in writing style and etiquette that result from the greater speed, accessibility and permanence of electronic communication. Guidelines are presented to help make networking useful and productive for you.

Use the Appropriate Degree of Formality
Electronic communication tends to lead to a writing style much less formal than that normally used in paper documents.

However, electronic messages are just as permanent as paper documents and may be read by more. Many people will know you only by what you say and how well you say it. They may someday be your co-workers or friends. Take time to make sure no electronic communication embarrasses you later. Minimize spelling errors and make sure that the message is easy to read and understand.

Summarize What You are Responding To
When posting a response, summarize the parts of a message or article to which you are responding. Summarizing allows readers to remember what the original article said and to appreciate your comments better. Also your response to a news article may get to some sites before the original article, so readers may be unable to refer to the original.

Summarizing may be best done by including appropriate quotes from the original message or article. Do not include the entire article. In responding to an entire article, summarize only the major points you are discussing.

Summarize Multiple Responses
When you request information from the network, it is common courtesy to report your findings so that others can benefit as well. The best way of doing this is to take all the responses you receive and edit them into a single article; then post that article to the newsgroups or individuals to whom you originally sent the query. In summarizing responses, strip the headers, combine duplicate information and write a short summary of each response. Credit the information to the people that sent it to you, where possible.

Keep Paragraphs and Messages Short and to the Point
Make your messages "concise," not cryptic. Shorter paragraphs have more impact and are more likely to be read by busy people- Most people can only grasp about seven ideas at once. This means ideas in a paragraph, major sections, etc…

Format Messages for Easy Reading
White space is not wasted space. It greatly improves clarity A blank line only adds a byte to the message length; so don't be stingy. A well-designed message helps make your meaning clearer.

Cite Appropriate References
Take time to back up your statements with references to articles and documents just as you would in standard written material. Readers of newsgroups may not know who you are and your statements may lack credibility without substantiation.

Use Descriptive Titles
The subject line of an electronic message enables a person with limited amount of time to decide whether to read your message or article. As a courtesy to others, indicate what the message is about before they take the time to read it.

Be Careful with Humor and Sarcasm
Without the voice inflections and body language of personal communications, it is easy for a remark meant to be funny to be misinterpreted. Subtle humor tends to get lost in electronic communication, so take steps to make sure that people realize you are trying to be funny.

People who use networks have developed a symbol called the smiley face to indicate humor. It looks like a sideways smiling face, and points out sections of articles with humorous intent. No matter how broad the humor or satire, it is safer to remind people that you are being funny.

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