2. • Know your audience
• Adapt to your environment
• If you are unsure what your
environment calls for, default to
professionalism, courtesy, and
academic language.
• Jump into arguments just for the
sake of being heard.
• Treat an academic forum like a
personal chat board
• Post personal information about
yourself or anyone else online
DO DON’T
RULE #1
3. • Identify yourself with your
username when in a closed digital
community
• Example usernames: Laurien,
Lavery, Laurien 001
• Provide your full name, especially
in an open setting
• Use unprofessional or
inappropriate screen names
• Ex: Lovelylips, Cutiebootie, Chazisrad,
JackDaniels2015
DO
Don’t
IDENTITY
4. • Respect normal rules and standards
of interpersonal interactions
• Add to the conversation when
appropriate by asking questions,
clarifying understanding, or adding
comments to other people’s posts
• Disagree respectfully. The internet
can be a safe and cordial place to
have disagreements because the
written word is often more carefully
considered than the spoken one
• Allow the internet to become
your venting ground or your place
to say the things you won’t say in
person.
• Reply to posts with off-topic,
change-the-subject comments.
• Disagree disrespectfully. Written
text has no tone of voice, which
can lead to misunderstandings
that fan the flames of temper.
Do Don’t
INTERACTIONS
5. • Provide enough information to
be understood
• Provide research to support your
opinions when appropriate
• Allow yourself to take a casual
tone when it is appropriate, as in
an online chat or sometimes in
responses on a message board
• Stay relevant!
• Ramble, or provide more
information than necessary.
• Make outlandish assertions you
can’s support with evidence
• Use slang, inappropriate language,
letters to represent words (ex: u
going 2 the store?)
• Post irrelevant links or comments.
Do Don’t
WRITTEN CONTENT
