Netiquette, often ignored at your peril.
The beast that is the Internet drives relentlessly forward, with new social media platforms coming out with an awful regularity, “me too, me too, me too”. Never has it been more important to have a firm grasp of the basics of Netiquette. Born in the 1990’s, observing simple Netiquette is a crucial skill for any erstwhile blogger.
We all do it. We see something which moves us, we get carried away by emotion to respond, and we post without thinking. It’s not just the grammar that suffers, it’s all of us, as we get weighed down under the flame wars and the obstinate opinions of opinionated people. All too often we forget that includes ourselves! We need to stand back, take stock, and think through the consequences of our actions, and our posts, they may not be the harmless passing comment we first think of them.
Social media tends to make us cluster around like-minded folk, reinforcing our own prejudices. It takes an effort of will to seek out new domains for discourse, and to (as Poirot would have it) “use the little grey cells”. Taking the time to contemplate how your post will be received by others is an opportunity to place the weak canard of political correctness aside, or the safe bet, and to make a positive contribution with a real chance to reach differently thinking people – unless you alienate them first. Take a moment to read the good advice of Netiquette today, and then share that timeless wisdom!
Make a difference, think about what you post, before you post.
