The Core Rules of Netiquette — Summary

Rule 1. Remember the human.

Never forget that the person reading your mail or posting is, indeed, a person, with feelings that can be hurt.

Corollary 1 to Rule #1: It's not nice to hurt other people's feelings.

Corollary 2: Never mail or post anything you wouldn't say to your reader's face.

Corollary 3: Notify your readers when flaming.

Rule 2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.

Corollary 1: Be ethical.

Corollary 2: Breaking the law is bad Netiquette.

Rule 3. Know where you are in cyberspace.

Corollary 1: Netiquette varies from domain to domain.

Corollary 2: Lurk before you leap.

Rule 4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth.

Corollary 1: It's OK to think that what you're doing at the moment is the most important thing in the universe, but don't expect anyone else to agree with you.

Corollary 2: Post messages to the appropriate discussion group.

Corollary 3: Try not to ask stupid questions on discussion groups.

Corollary 4: Read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document.

Corollary 5: When appropriate, use private email instead of posting to the group.

Corollary 6: Don't post subscribe, unsubscribe, or FAQ requests.

Corollary 7: Don't waste expert readers' time by posting basic information.