A setet is rules of behavior on the Internet, an abbreviation for the phrase “network etiquette”. The need for such rules arose with the development of the Internet community - and as you know, in each community, certain rules of behavior are established sooner or later. In this article we will consider which setiquet rules are relevant for most popular forms of communication on the Internet.
The main thing is to be polite
Despite the fact that communication on the Internet implies some liberties, the most correct decision is to remain faithful to the canons of classical etiquette: show courtesy and courtesy, do not go beyond the bounds of decency, monitor literacy and purity of speech. On the Web, we present ourselves mostly with the help of text (less often with pictures and videos), therefore mastering the word mastery is very important for creating a positive image on the Internet.
The definition of what a setiquet includes not only the ability to communicate politely and knowledge of some network norms, but also implies a huge personal background of the user. The more educated and educated you are, the more savvy in a setet.
Basic rules of the setet
Fast - does not mean carelessly. If you have business correspondence on the Web, then it is better to think over the text of the message in advance and write it slowly. Another thing is if solving an important issue has caught you on the road. Even in this case, you can write to the interlocutor that you are now uncomfortable talking, and apologize for breaking messages and words with errors.
Make full use of punctuation and capital letters. Emoticons in business correspondence are permissible only when your relationship with the other side has long passed into friendships or if it is permissible in your area of work. Then the recipient gets the impression that on the other side of the screen a living person is still sitting with his emotions. But still, it’s better not to abuse them, as well as numerous points, exclamation and question marks.
The rule that almost all users agree with is not to use upper case for writing plain text (all letters are uppercase). For some reason, for many newcomers, this seems very funny and convenient. Upper case on the Internet is regarded as a scream and is perceived with a negative. And even more so, you should not alternate registers - it was fashionable to communicate in this way 10-15 years ago among schoolchildren, but now they definitely should not be imitated.
Email as the primary business correspondence tool
Setiquette rules for Web users most often begin with email. If you plan to use this mailbox for business correspondence, then your email address should sound convincing, and not foolishly. Best of all, if it is a combination of a first or last name, most likely with the addition of numbers.If you want to communicate on behalf of a company, it’s logical to name your e-mail the name of this company (just do not use it for personal correspondence).
You should also come up with a short, concise signature for your email - you can specify it in the settings. It is worth indicating your name, perhaps a position in the company that you represent. This is necessary so that the interlocutor knows who to contact by name when he will answer you.
Always indicate the subject of the letter - this will highlight it among others. The subject is exactly what will make the addressee of the letter open it and read it. Emails without a subject at all can go to the "Trash" not even open.
It’s best to write the recipient’s address last. Such an incident often happens when an unfinished letter flies to the addressee due to an accidental button press. They also recommend that you save a very long letter before sending it somewhere else, so as not to accidentally erase everything that you wrote, due to connection problems or other failures.
Chatting with friends on the Internet
If business correspondence is simply obliged to comply with the classical standards of etiquette, then a friendly conversation may contain any variations and deviations from the standards. What is a setet, if not the rules that can be broken?
But even with friends, follow the rules of good form:
- Do not disappear from the chat in the middle of the conversation, but if this did happen, then apologize.
- Do not type the text in transliteration, otherwise your interlocutor will have to puzzle over the decryption of your message.
- Do not send voice messages without asking your interlocutor if it is convenient for him to listen to them now. The same applies to video calls - do not call without prior permission.
- Do not tag friends in unpresentable photos without their consent. If it seems to you that the material you post may somehow compromise your friends, then first check with them about your doubts. Perhaps this is how you will save someone's reputation.
- Never add friends (and especially unfamiliar friends) to groups, games, discussions without their consent - especially for advertising your products. For this, very often removed from friends.
How to behave on Facebook
Facebook has already registered more than 2 billion inhabitants of the planet, so the answers to the question of what a setiquette are, one way or another, relate to this social network. Acquaintance with Facebook begins with registration and filling out a profile. There are two extremes of people: some hide, filling their account with a random selection of information and setting any picture on their avatars, while others, on the contrary, cover any event of their life on Facebook - from the birth of a child to the morning visit to a coffee shop.
The former usually cause suspicion among the average user of a social network, while the latter can cause irritation with too frequent posts, especially if they are doing it illiterate. What does not cause suspicion, say, among potential employers is an avatar with your face and periodic updates in the feed.
Who can I add as a friend?
Are there any rules of the setiquette governing adding to your friends list? Actually, no, but many adhere to maintaining boundaries. Add to friends in the first place should be those with whom you are already familiar in your personal life. If you want to freeze a person with whom you are not personally acquainted, you should read the information on his page, it may be indicated there how he relates to applications from strangers. Many do not accept "silent" applications, so better introduce yourself to who you are and why you add people to your friends. There is also a great tool called subscription - you can simply subscribe to this person’s updates as a daily newspaper.This is exactly what happens on Instagram - there users can boldly subscribe to personalities they like, but not expect that they will be subscribed in response.
What to post and what to write about
What is a setet? Rules of conduct in general, not just communication. This also includes self-expression in social networks. You can use your Facebook account for any purpose, but in order for people to get an idea about you, you still need to somehow arrange the page.
Do not upload your photo in a swimsuit or with beer in the open for public viewing. Intimacy should remain intimate, and your family leisure time is far from always able to have a positive impression on business partners. Everything that gets into social networks is immediately evaluated from an aesthetic point of view - if your photo loses by these parameters, then others can perceive you as a person with a bad taste.
Even if the photos are very beautiful, you should not abuse everyday photos on the same subject - daily selfies in the elevator, endless photos of the baby, food, drinks and so on. Even a sunset on the sea can be annoying if you take pictures and upload it every day.
Social Wars
Virtual space allows users to become bolder in their statements. What is a setet for these people, if there is an opportunity to quarrel with someone on the Internet? Most mature Web users become convinced over time that disputes on the Internet mostly come to a standstill, and it’s better not to spend your time on them initially. But newcomers most often willingly get involved in a scandal if they see that they are hurting some important things for them.
These newcomers are most often attacked by “trolls” - experienced and rather cynical Internet users who have fun by pitting each other and pushing inexperienced users with their foreheads. Usually, they can be banned for inciting conflicts on any resource - restrict access to it for a certain time or even forever.
Constructive criticism
But sometimes criticism can be constructive. For example, such a tool is often used on Facebook when a company or institution whose services were of poor quality is noted in the post (sending it by the post or the cashier spoke in an insulting tone at the bank). If the company cares about its reputation, then, as a rule, it answers such challenges quickly and efficiently.
Instagram and seals
The current rules of the setiquette apply to all social networks, including Instagram. The main emphasis here is shifted from text to visual images, so all the rules regarding uploading photos are suitable for Instagram. Do not abuse the monotonous subject and excessive number of hashtags. Also, do not dilute the text with hashtags if you sign photos - it is better to put them in a separate comment or leave at the very bottom of the signature.
If 90% of the photos in your account are photos of a cat, then try to diversify the content with something (unless you have a specialized blog about animals). Of course, cat photos are a win-win option to attract followers, but isn’t anything happening in your life?
