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Out on good behavior pg2

Social Learning of Acceptable Behavior

  • Social Background

    • People acquire expected or appropriate behavior from:

    • Families

    • Relatives

    • Religious institutions

    • Communities

    • Acting poorly can offend others and jeopardize personal and community relationships.

    • Community members often seek to correct bad behavior collectively.

  • Evolution of Acceptable Behavior

    • The concept of acceptable behavior has evolved to facilitate smoother social interactions.

    • Social pressures help in establishing a basic level of courtesy and respect.

The Online Environment vs. Traditional Socialization

  • Differences in Interactions

    • Online interactions have a much broader range compared to face-to-face interactions in villages.

    • Online participants may never meet in person.

    • Influence from family or relatives might be diminished; peers from online communities have a stronger impact on online behavior.

  • Anonymity on the Internet

    • Anonymity allows individuals to behave poorly without immediate consequences.

    • However, it should be noted:

    • Law Enforcement Access: Law enforcement can trace online identities through ISPs and data from companies like Microsoft and Google.

    • Social Benefits: Many people wish to maintain positive online interactions to continue enjoying Internet benefits.

Norms and Guidelines for Online Behavior

  • Netiquette

    • Etiquette rules for social interactions online, originally tailored for email but applicable to all online communication.

    • Guidelines aim to foster respectful interactions and mitigate misunderstandings.

  • Understanding Communication Nuances

    • Recognize that non-verbal cues in face-to-face conversations (like body language, tone, etc.) are absent online.

    • Emphasize clarity to avoid misunderstandings in written formats such as emails.

Guidelines for Responsible Online Behavior

Table 11.1: Guidelines for Responsible Online Behavior

  • Act as if present in person

    • Avoid stating or doing things in online interactions that are inappropriate in face-to-face scenarios.

  • Be Aware of Non-Verbal Cues

    • Consider the absence of facial expressions and body language in email, social media, etc.

  • Be Clear and Complete

    • Provide thorough explanations to prevent misinterpretations; use smilies or emoticons for humor where applicable.

  • Caution with Emotional Content

    • Wait to send very emotional messages; once sent, they cannot be “unsent.”

    • Respect private communications and avoid forwarding without permission.

  • Delete Doesn’t Equal Remove

    • Content once online remains accessible even if deleted, hence think carefully about posts before making them public, as future employers may review them.

  • Avoid Flame Wars

    • Engage sensitively in discussions; refrain from participating in or exacerbating hostile exchanges.

    • For escalating disputes, contact contributors or moderators instead of joining in.

  • Confirm Recipients

    • Always double-check recipient lists for emails to avoid sending personal messages to a group.

Specific Guidelines for Email Communication

  • Focus on One Topic at a Time

    • Limit email to a single subject to ensure clarity and facilitate responses.

    • Utilize subject lines effectively to reflect the topic and urgency (e.g., “Response requested: vote for team slogan by Friday”).

  • Automated Replies

    • Set up an automated reply when unable to respond to emails promptly, indicating absence.

    • Such messages inform senders about the status of communication and manage expectations.

  • Forwarding Emails

    • Always seek permission before forwarding an email to respect the original sender's intent and confidentiality.

    • Be mindful of implied privacy breaches in work environments, especially public institutions.

  • Managing Email Backlogs

    • Prioritize reviewing emails in reverse chronological order, focusing first on the oldest messages that might need responses.

    • Avoid allowing a backlog to grow indefinitely; aim to address or eliminate older emails efficiently.

  • Clarification of Email Ownership

    • Ensure communication is clear; misunderstandings often arise from the casual tone of email and texting.

    • Use emoticons judiciously, considering the context and audience; different exchanges may require different standards.

The Origin of Emoticons

  • Historical Context

    • The earliest use of typographical representations of emotions can be traced back to 1881 in the magazine Puck.

    • The modern concept of the emoticon was proposed by Scott Fahlman in 1982, marking a significant development in digital communication practices.