Netiquette and Net language

Whichever type of online discussion you're taking part in, there's a code of conduct known as Netiquette (" Net etiquette"). It's informal, of course - as long as you're not breaching your ISP's terms of service or laws of your land, you can actually say and do whatever you like. However, if you're online to communicate you may as well try and get on with everyone, which means sticking to a few protocols. Any protest on your behalf will inevitably lead to a long, heated debate and you might find yourself ostracized. Stick to the rules outlined in the next few pages and you'll spare yourself the pain and be treated better by the group.

· Be tactful. Before you call someone a retard or question their intelligence, consider that they might indeed have a mental handicap, and being able to take part in an online discussion on their favourite sport or hobby might be an achievement in itself.

· Bite your tongue. Never post in anger. You may regret it later, especially on Usenet, where everything you send will end up archived at Google Groups. And beware of Trolls. These are baits left to start arguments or make you look stupid. If someone asks something ludicrous or obvious, says something offensive or inappropriate, or attacks you personally, don't respond. Let it pass. Tread carefully with sarcasm, too, as not everyone will get it, especially those who speak imperfect English. As much as you might frown on smileys, they're better than being misunderstood.

· Don't use all UPPER CASE (all caps) unless you're shouting (emphasizing a point in a big way). It makes you look rude and ignorant.

· Mind your language. Nothing will get you on the wrong side of an online discussion faster than swearing. You can swear freely (almost) in everyday life, so you might think the same should apply online. You're welcome to try, but it probably won't work in your favour. It's not so much that you'll stand to offend; it's that you'll be set upon by the pious, who'll furthermore delight in complaining to your ISP. Yet if you reduce your obscenity to an obvious abbreviation, such as F or F***, you'll not hear a peep of protest. Remarkable.

· Watch your words. Unless you're on a private mailing list, you should consider discussions to be in the public domain. That means they could end up archived on the Web. This isn't the case with most mailing lists, and may not even be legal, but it's safer not to test it. What this means is that whether or not you appear anonymous, if you threaten or maliciously defame someone, it will be possible to trace and prosecute you under your local laws. Take care not to say anything you wouldn't like to see next to your name on the front page of your local paper.

· Respect confidentiality. Don't post email you've received from someone else without their consent. Apart from being very rude, it may be an illegal breach of confidence.

· Keep it simple. Express yourself in plain English. Don't use acronyms or abbreviations unless they reduce jargon rather than create it. And avoid overusing smileys and other emoticons.They spell " newbie". And keep your signature short and subtle. Three to five lines, no ASCII art.

· Don't be a grammar pedant. Everyone makes spelling mistakes and grammatical errors online - sometimes every time they post. You don't need to point it out, especially when they're not posting in their first language.

· Use plain text. Although most email programs and newsreaders can display HTML and Mime Quoted Printable format, you may get a lecture if you send a message to a newsgroup or mailing list in anything but plain text. That said, HTML is sometimes more appropriate - for example, if you're pasting a long URL - so have a look to see what others do in the group or list.

· Warn if you might spoil a surprise. If your message reveals something that might spoil a surprise, such as the plot of a film or the score in a sports match, it's good manners to write something to warn people who'd rather not know. You might, for example, give a Usenet posting a subject line such as " Warning: spoiler".

Before the Internet became a public thoroughfare, it was overrun with academics. These greasy geek types could be found chatting and swapping shareware on the bulletin-board networks. As the Internet was popularized this culture collided with the less digitally versed general public. While the old-school types are now in the minority, their culture still kicks on - as witnessed by the continued use of their abbreviated expressions.

Low transfer speed, poor typing skills and the need for quick responses were among the pioneers' justifications for keeping things brief. But using Net lingo was also a way of showing you were in the know. These days, it’s not so prevalent, though you're sure to encounter acronyms in IRC and, to a lesser extent, Usenet and mailing lists. Chat is a snappy medium, messages are short, and responses are fast. Unlike with CB radio, people won't ask your " 20" to find out where you're from but they might ask your a/s/1 - age/sex/location. Acronyms and abbreviations are mixed in with normal speech and range from the innocuous (BT W = by the way) to a whole panoply of blue phrases. But don't be ashamed to stick with plain English, Urdu or whatever. After all, you'll stand a better chance of being understood.

Back in the old days, potentially contentious remarks could be tempered by tacking < grins> on the end in much the same way that a dog wags its tail to show it’s harmless. But that wasn't enough for the E-generation, whose trademark smiley icon became the 1980s peace sign. The same honed minds who discovered that 71077345, when inverted, spells " Shell Oil" developed the ASCII smiley. This time, instead of turning it upside down, you had to look at it side­ways to see a smiling face. An expression that words, supposedly, fail to convey. At least in such limited space. Inevitably this grew into a whole family of emoticons - emotional icons.

The odd smiley might have its use in defusing barbs, but whether you'd want to use any of the others is up to your perception of the line between cute and dorky. The nose is optional.

/The Rough Guide to the Internet/

1. What is a netiquette?

2. Why should we stick to a protocol while communicating online?

3. Sum up the advice given by the author?

4. In what way can your emotions ruin your communication online?

5. How did the communication online change? Why?

6. What acronyms and abbreviations do you know?

7. What do you know about the history of smileys?

Exercise 7. Read the text. Which problem does it raise?

Can the government see what Web sites I visit?

Strickland, Jonathan. " Can the government see what Web sites I visit? "

25 February 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. < https://computer.howstuffworks.com/government-see-website.htm>

21 November 2008.

Imagine you're shopping at a mall. You browse different stores, make a few purchases and move on. Then, you notice that a man you don't know seems to be following you. You even catch a glimpse of him taking notes on what you're looking at and buying. The entire time you've been shopping, you've been spied on!

Many people fear that a similar thing is happening on the Web. They're worried that someone, usually the government, is recording and analyzing their Web browsing activity. They argue that these acts are an invasion of privacy. Are they right to be worried? Can the government keep track of all the Web sites everyone visits, and would it be able to act on that information?

It's easy to understand why some people are worried. The United States Patriot Act expands the government's ability to perform searches and install wiretaps. It doesn't seem like a big stretch to add tracking people's Internet activity to the list. These people fear that they'll be spied on whether they've done anything to justify it or not.

In some ways, fear about the government's ability to keep tabs on Web activities has reached the level of a conspiracy theory. In the most extreme version of the theory, the government is tracking not only Web site activity, but also is building a database of potential suspects for crimes ranging from corporate sabotage to terrorism. Other theories don't go that far, but still suggest the government is treating everyone like a suspect -- even if people aren't doing anything illegal or questionable.