10 Netiquette Guidelines Online Students Need To Know

10 Netiquette Guidelines
Online Students Need to Know

By Ashley Brooks on 01/28/2019
10 Netiquette guidelines every online student needs to

know
Learn how to be on your best behavior in an online classroom with

10 netiquette guidelines every online student needs to know.
1. NO YELLING, PLEASE
There’s a time and a place for everything—BUT IN MOST

SITUATIONS TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS INAPPROPRIATE. Most readers
tend to perceive it as shouting and will have a hard time taking
what you say seriously, no matter how intelligent your response
may be. If you have vision issues, there are ways to adjust how
text displays so you can still see without coming across as angry.
2. Sarcasm can (and will) backfire
Sarcasm has been the source of plenty of misguided arguments

online, as it can be incredibly difficult to understand the
commenter’s intent. What may seem like an obvious joke to you
could come across as off-putting or rude to those who don’t know
you personally. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid sarcasm
altogether in an online classroom. Instead, lean toward being polite
and direct in the way you communicate to avoid these issues.
3. Don’t abuse the chat box
Chat boxes are incorporated into many online classes as a place for
students to share ideas and ask questions related to the lesson. It
can be a helpful resource or a major distraction—it all depends on
how well students know their classroom netiquette.
“Rather than asking relevant questions or giving clear answers,
students might use the chat box to ask questions irrelevant to the
discussion, or to talk about an unrelated topic,” says Erin Lynch,
senior educator at Test Innovators. The class chat box isn’t an
instant messenger like you’d use with friends. Treat it like the
learning tool it’s meant to be, and try not to distract your
classmates with off-topic discussions.
4. Attempt to find your own answer
If you’re confused or stuck on an assignment, your first instinct may

be to immediately ask a question. But before you ask, take the time
to try to figure it out on your own.
For questions related to class structure, such as due dates or

policies, refer to your syllabus and course FAQ. Attempt to find the
answers to any other questions on your own using a search engine.
If your questions remain unanswered after a bit of effort, feel free
to bring them up with your instructor.
5. Stop ... grammar time!
Always make an effort to use proper punctuation, spelling and

grammar. Trying to decipher a string of misspelled words with
erratic punctuation frustrates the reader and distracts from the
point of your message.
On the other hand, it’s important to be reasonable about others’

grammar mistakes. Nobody likes the grammar police, and scolding
a classmate because he or she used “your” instead of “you’re” isn’t
practicing proper netiquette.
6. Set a respectful tone
“An increasingly common netiquette faux pas is treating e-

correspondence with faculty and staff as an ongoing chat among
friends,” says Alexey Timbul, online professor at the Academy of
Art University.
Every day may feel like casual Friday in an online classroom where
you don’t see anyone in person, but a certain level of formality is
still expected in your communication with instructors. In addition
to proper punctuation and spelling, it’s good netiquette to use
respectful greetings and signatures, full sentences and even the
same old “please” and “thank you” you use in real life.
7. Submit files the right way
You won’t be printing assignments and handing to them to your

teacher in person, so knowing how to properly submit your work
online is key to your success as an online student. Online course
instructors often establish ground rules for file assignment
submissions, like naming conventions that help them keep things
organized or acceptable file formats. Ignoring these instructions is a
common example of bad netiquette.
“Receiving work that does not adhere to the file format and naming
protocol means a student is not paying attention,” says Timbul. If
you don’t follow instructions, you’re taking the risk that your
instructor won’t be able to find or open your assignment. Save
yourself and your instructor a headache and read their instructions
carefully before submitting.
8. Read first
Take some time to read through each of the previous discussion

post responses before writing your own response. If the original
post asked a specific question, there’s a good chance someone has
already answered it. Submitting an answer that is eerily similar to a
classmate’s indicates to the instructor that you haven’t paid
attention to the conversation thus far.
Remember, discussions can move fairly quickly so it’s important to

absorb all of the information before crafting your reply. Building
upon a classmate’s thought or attempting to add something new to
the conversation will show your instructor you’ve been paying
attention.
9. Think before you type
A passing comment spoken in class can be forgotten a few minutes

later, but what you share in an online classroom is part of a
permanent digital record. “Whether or not privacy settings are in
place, the internet has a tendency to house things forever, and
what you say privately can easily become public,”
advises etiquette expert Devoreaux Walton.
Not only is it good practice to be guarded when it comes to

personal information, you always want to be just as respectful
toward others as you would be if you were sitting in the same room
together. Zink says a good rule of thumb to follow is if you’re
comfortable standing up in front of a classroom and saying your
message, then it’s most likely okay to share.
10. Be kind and professional
Online communication comes with a level of anonymity that

doesn’t exist when you’re talking to someone face-to-face.
Sometimes this leads people to behave rudely when they disagree
with one another. Online students probably don’t have the
complete anonymity that comes with using a screen name, but you
could still fall prey to treating someone poorly because of the
distance between screens. Make a point to be kind and respectful
in your comments—even if you disagree with someone.
“At the core, all of these mistakes come down to forgetting that an
online classroom is still a classroom,” Lynch says. “Good netiquette
means conducting yourself in an online class with the same
respect, politeness and professionalism that you would exhibit in a
real-life classroom.”

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10 Netiquette Guidelines

Online Students Need to Know

10 Netiquette guidelines every online student needs to

Learn how to be on your best behavior in an online classroom with

There’s a time and a place for everything—BUT IN MOST

2. Sarcasm can (and will) backfire

Sarcasm has been the source of plenty of misguided arguments

3. Don’t abuse the chat box

4. Attempt to find your own answer

If you’re confused or stuck on an assignment, your first instinct may

For questions related to class structure, such as due dates or

5. Stop ... grammar time!

Always make an effort to use proper punctuation, spelling and

On the other hand, it’s important to be reasonable about others’

6. Set a respectful tone

“An increasingly common netiquette faux pas is treating e-

7. Submit files the right way

You won’t be printing assignments and handing to them to your

Take some time to read through each of the previous discussion

Remember, discussions can move fairly quickly so it’s important to

A passing comment spoken in class can be forgotten a few minutes

Not only is it good practice to be guarded when it comes to

10. Be kind and professional

Online communication comes with a level of anonymity that

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