When I was young, the phrase I heard a lot was, “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to explain to your grandmother.”  If we all spoke to one another face-to-face just the same as we did online, what would that sound like? Would you feel ashamed? What type of atmosphere would we reside in? A good rule of thumb is to never allow yourself to express online what you would feel ashamed or embarrassed to say in public.

We come from many different backgrounds and cultures and the internet will bring international exposure into our daily lives, however, we should remember that each of us desire to be treated with respect no matter where we come from. If you cannot see yourself accepting the words you are posting or sending online, then you should not say them.

For this netiquette rule, I would model inappropriate behavior by coming into the classroom, slamming my books on the desk, pushing (gently) another student and using some offensive (mild) profanity toward the “teacher”. Of course, this would only really work with a class that I have an excellent rapport with, and in a high school setting.  I am sure this would get the attention of the class. Using this astonishment, I would ask the students if this type of behavior seems appropriate? Knowing that they will feel prompted to say no, I will build on this by saying that our words online are the same as our real-life behavior. If we want to build the same reputation of respect that we expect in our real-life, then we need to realize our online behavior (words) IS real-life, and it is a more lasting reputation since it can never be erased. Be wise! Be friendly!

Just like the first rule I mentioned, this remembrance of the human face you are speaking to will bring a “live and in-person” feel to what you say, potentially eliminating pain for others and embarrassment for yourself. As future educators, we would never dream of saying cruel or inhumane things to a child. We should remember that no matter what the age of the persons we are interacting with online, the human we are speaking to has real feeling that deserve to be respected.

Even if we come from completely different backgrounds, remembering that there is a real, living being on the other side of the screen will help us treat them with respect and care. Most people would never fathom being unreasonably cruel to another individual to their face, so we should NEVER think it ok to be cruel to others online.

For this netiquette rule, I would have students in groups of two type subject-directed messages to one another in an approved chat program. The first student would send a complement by message and when they press send, they would have to take note of the facial expression of the receiver, and vice versa. We would then have a class discussion of how the message physically affected the receiver and how they think a negative message would cause the receiver to react. This will bring a human aspect or “face” to the usage of online communication.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://pixabay.com/p-2025016/?no_redirect

 Each person has the right to feel their ideas and feelings are worth being heard. If we are going to interact with others online then listening is our greatest power. We do not have to feel that agreement with another person is necessary to show respect. We can allow others to express themselves and afford them the same respect that we would want. 
[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://farm1.static.flickr.com/80/209114138_aa606227f2_m.jpg

How many of us have had experiences with a teacher, boss, parent or significant other mocking us for our mistakes? It can feel terrible to be identified only for our mistakes. People need to feel that will be accepted, mistakes or not. Too often I see harsh criticism online for people giving an opinion that may not be totally accurate. 

We tend to learn best from our mistakes. If we can feel that we are going to be accepted, we are more willing to correct our mistakes and build healthy interactions with people online. We all make mistakes and therefore should be more than willing to forgive and encourage others for their mistakes. 

(n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html