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• Can a polite comment hurt anyone?

• Why are people so easily upset?

• Can I copy from the internet?

• How does copyright affect me?

• Can I expect a reply?

• Is it safe to buy on the internet?

• Do I need Cookies?

• Is the Web full of pornography?

• Can I complain about rude sites?

How can a polite comment hurt anyone?

Very easily. Pressing the reply button can vary in its effect, depending on the software you use and how it is set up. Your reply may be automatically copied to all who received the first post, not just the sender. The contents may include all of the original post; if you choose to "quote original" but have been reading another post since you read the one you are replying to, it is possible to quote from the wrong mail.

And your reply, however polite, may be taken out of context and might cause inadvertent pain - easily done when responding around the world, with such variation among cultures (Never forget that England and America are "divided by a common language").

Why are people easily upset on the internet?

The internet combines features of both the written and the spoken word, but lacks what we all take for granted in speech; visible and audible cues. Thus a 'smart' comment can become biting sarcasm, a verbal tease can become a mortal insult.

Two solutions have evolved:
The vile and ubiquitous emoticon ;-)
The cumbersome but <witty> emotag </witty>

Emoticons are the work of seconds from any keyboard, and are widely understood. On the other hand, some people find them trite, facile and irredeemably stupid :- (

Emotags mimic the text tags used in HTML coding. They take a little thought and might not be worth that effort - but, arguably, they could not be worse than <DIRE> emoticons </DIRE>

Can I copy information from the internet?

All the usual editing functions of your computer will work within your internet browser, so you can cut or copy material from the internet without any problems. It is also possible to download whole pages, which can be converted into plain text. Some sites provide special 'downloadable' files, often in Microsoft Word format or Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format (PDF). These files can be printed to look like the original document, and cannot be edited.

How does copyright work on the internet?

You'll find a lot of serious twaddle talked about copyright - usually by people who should know better. Copyright applies in the exactly the same way on the internet as in any other medium; material belongs to the person or organisation that created the work, unless and until they choose to waive their rights, or sell them. So anything published on the internet belongs to someone.
Many will allow - even encourage - downloading and copying; some will ask for payment, some will forbid copying. In law, it is usually permissible to make one copy for your own personal use, and to use a reasonable amount of the document for the purposes of review, news or discussion. In this case, the original source should be cited. If in doubt, be guided by notices posted on the site.

But be clear - there is no copyright in ideas; if something inspires you - or simply helps you - it's good manners to give credit where it's due; but, just as you don't need to ask the author before citing a reference, so you don't need permission for links to web sources. Netiquette says you should remove a link if asked by the site concerned; and you certainly must never use a logo or other graphic without permission.

Can I expect a reply?

At what point is it polite to send a follow up email when no response has been received? Should I resend the same request, attach the first email to the second, or just ask if he got the first one?

If someone encourages reader response, they should either add "I do not promise an answer - but I'll help if I can..." or send an auto response, and a full reply at some point. Bad manners not to.

If they give an address, but do not positively encourage response, then they have a choice whether to reply or not, the Internet being what it is.

If the site states "Please do not ask questions, all the info I have is on the site" then they can ignore all requests!

If they haven't responded by 14 days-ish, go elsewhere ; If you have to persist, try and find alternate email addresses on the same site, and copy to 2 or 3; that seems to concentrate the mind, but also can upset them.

You have to make the judgement; how much do I need a response; can I afford to upset them; can I take my enquiry (and my business) elsewhere?

Is it safe to purchase via the internet?

Yes; provided you deal with an organisation that you trust. The chance of fraud or theft is tiny, no higher than paying for a meal in a restaurant or ordering by telephone; probably much lower. Indeed, the risk is so small that many companies, such as Amazon.com, offer a 100% guarantee without hesitation. People do lose money on the internet, but through fraud rather than hi-tech theft. (Consider; if you had the technology to steal via the internet, would you divert a few pounds from a book purchase, or a few million from a multinational corporation?). Deal with a trusted organisation and you are probably completely safe!

What is a cookie, and do I need them?

Cookies are items of information about your preferences, that a site can place on your hard drive. Cookies can remember your password, or greet you with a fond and personalised "Welcome Back" message. Many people resent cookies as an invasion of privacy, as they are 'planted' on your computer without you having much control. In practice, however, cookies can save you time getting the information you want from a site, and there is scant evidence of any problem associated with them. Cookie can be refused (through your browser options/preferences).

Is the World Wide Web full of pornography?

There is a lot of pornography on the web; but it is perfectly possible to use the internet without ever seeing any of it.The Internet Content Rating Association has been set up to develop, implement and manage an internationally acceptable voluntary self-rating system which provides internet users world wide with the choice to limit access to content they consider harmful, especially to children.

Can I complain about VERY rude sites?

Some sites contain pornography - or simply abusive and vulgar language; there is nothing that can be done, other than ignoring them and hoping they will go away. Freespeech on the internet is fiercely protected, and pornography is legal in most countries.

If a site makes specific threats against a person or organisation, or encourages racial or sexual discrimination or hatred, action may be possible - but can be expensive and protracted. It is worth complaining to the service provider (if known) particulary if the site originates in your own country.

How this page works ...

This page is to help anyone with an interest in Netiquette - or simply in the use of the internet. If you want to ask a supplementary question, write to me - I do not promise an answer - but I'll help if I can, and may add it to this page.

I welcome your views on the whole idea - did you find it useful?