Netiquette: What is Netiquette?
Netiquette: Network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication.
Common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace. Etiquette on the
Internet. Etiquette
on Usenet Newsgroups. The conventions of politeness recognized on Usenet, such as avoidance of cross posting to inappropriate groups.
Learn how to promote your site without offending the masses!
Use Netiquette!
Just as there is protocol on real life that dictates how you behave towards others, there is the same kind
of protocol for the Internet, thus Netiquette. There are certain Do's and Don'ts, that if you follow, will
lead to a long and happy life as a citizen of the Internet. We'll go over Netiquette as it relates to your
SOHOHost site, and then provide links to other sites that give a complete
explanation on the subject. Mass E-Mailing (aka UCE or Spam)
Aside from being against the Acceptable Use Policy you agreed to when you
purchased hosting services from SOHO Central, the sending of Unsolicited Commercial
E-Mail (UCE) is a bad idea. Called Spam on the Internet, it's become a hot topic, and one that most
people agree should stop. When you send mass e-mails, you take up server space on someone's
server, and clog peoples' mailboxes. Most people will not make a purchase from
someone who sends UCE. If you're going to advertise, don't use this method, it could get
your site shut down, and many people unhappy with your business. If you want direct
e-mailings, only use services which provide opt-in direct e-mail services. That
is, e-mailings to people who have opted-in to receive it. Take a look at the
opt-in direct e-mail services available from the Advertising
Channel
Quick Loading Web Pages
This falls under the "courtesy" category of Netiquette. One of the things that people forget when they're
designing web pages is that every time someone visits your site, they have to download all that
information. The larger your graphics, and the more graphics you have on your site, the longer it takes
to download and come up on the screen. The smaller you can make your graphics, the better. The
fewer graphics, the better. Make your page simple, and compelling, and people will return. If it takes
them 5 minutes to see that 300k graphic on your homepage, they probably won't come back to do that
again. It's best to design your pages to load within 15-30 seconds using a 28.8
modem. For example, this page loads in 11 seconds over a 28.8 modem.
Clear, Concise and to the Point
People have short attention spans. Two minutes is about all the time people will spend doing any one
thing anymore. What does this mean to you? Make your pages clear, concise and to the point. If
someone has to scroll down more than twice to get through your page, it's too long. The best thing to
do is to split up your data into clear categories (like Products, Services, Customers, Support, etc)
instead of bombarding your visitors with information that they probably won't read.
Although we are not perfect, as you browse through the OrbisNet Online website,
you will see we tried to follow those guidelines in most cases.
Netiquette Links
Netiquette
- A book by Virginia Shea. Purchase it here through our association with
Amazon.com
Emily Postnews - Sarcastic, but it provides great tips for getting your information out there without
creating a scene. The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette
- A translation of the guide by Arlene Rinaldi
Albion's Netiquette - A very thorough website dealing with all aspects of Netiquette.
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