Identify yourself. Please choose a profile name that allows others to identify who is posting. Also end your post with your name in text.
Pay attention. This is an asynchronous forum, meaning we have no scheduled meetings or events that require everyone’s attendance. However, please check into the forum periodically (especially early in the day) to read discussion questions, posts and comments. Add your own posts and comments. Before publishing your posts or comments, read your text carefully, checking for errors, broken links, etc.
Respect others’ bandwidth and time. Keep posts and comments short. If you do submit a long post, use the “jump break” tool (an icon that looks like a torn page on the rich-text tool menu) to abbreviate the post and insert a “read more” link that takes readers to the rest of your post. Click here to read more about using jump breaks. To add depth and material without increasing length of your post, insert hyperlinks (click the “Links” tab in the rich-text toolbar) that will take the reader to external content.
Summarize. When commenting, don’t quote the entire text of the original post. Instead, summarize just what you are responding to. In the online community, brevity is a virtue.
Don’t shout. Even when trying to emphasize a point, refrain from typing words or phrases in all caps. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH YOU'RE SHOUTING! Besides, it’s difficult to read. Instead, to add emphasis, use bold or italics (see the rich-text toolbar).
Be discrete. Electronic forums are not private. This is a public discussion forum. But even if it were password-protected, information can be forwarded by others. In fact, our messages routinely pass through a sophisticated network of computers with the possibility of interception at every point. Once you hit the “Send” button, there’s no turning back. NOTE: We have elected to keep this blog discussion public, to provide easier access to participants. You may also share what we discuss in the forum by using the social media tools listed as icons at the bottom of each post text box.
Lurk, then talk. Before posting to a forum, newsgroup, chat room, or message board, monitor the ongoing topics of discussion and read the posts and comments. Asking a repetitive question or duplicating a post or comment is irksome to those already participating in an established discussion.
Avoid flaming. Resist the temptation to post heated messages. Such activity—no matter how widespread—is unacceptable in the online community. All but a few pompous cyber citizens frown on those who try to hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to hurl personal attacks. If you happen to get flamed, ignore it.
Be considerate. We welcome any healthy debate that might emerge from our discussion. Feel free to challenge ideas (preferably by expressing a point of view that is well organized and supported with credible evidence). However, treat everyone as a professional, with respect. Take the time to share what you know. If someone makes a mistake, try to help him or her out—politely. If someone disagrees, listen, reflect, accept other points of view, and consider various perspectives.
Eliminate spam. The practice of sending unsolicited comments, endorsements or advertisements (aka spamming), is unwelcome in the online community. Stay focused on the topic of the discussion. If you are offended or irritated by any activity on the blog, please contact the forum moderator (Chapter President Sabrina Clark) or forum administrator (Faculty Representative Dr. Mark Van Dyke).
Be descriptive. Use subject lines that reflect precisely the content of your post. This way, your peers can read or skip posts accordingly.
Adapted November 12, 2010, from All Sands.
