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We expect other drivers to observe the rules of the road. The same is true as we travel through cyberspace. That's where netiquette, a term coined from either network etiquette or Internet etiquette comes in handy. To guide you through your online communications, we offer a few pointers:
 Avoid writing e-mail or posting messages in blogs, newsgroups, forums, chat rooms and other online venues using all capital letters.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING! Not only that, it's difficult to read.
 When you talk with someone, the tone of your voice conveys great meaning. To add personality and humor to your messages, use smileys, also known as emoticons, expressions you create from the characters on your keyboard. A few popular ones include:
| :-) | Happy | | :-e | Disappointed |
| :-( | Sad | | :-< | Mad |
| :-o | Surprised | | :-D | Laughing |
| :-@ | Screaming | | ;-) | Winking |
| :-I | Indifferent |
 Keep your written communications to the point. Few people like reading text on a computer screen. Many people now receive e-mail on cell phones and other portable devices. The tiny screens make reading lengthy messages particularly challenging. This is true whether you send e-mail or post messages online.
 To keep messages short, use some common abbreviations:
<BTW> means By the Way.
A <G> enclosed in brackets indicates grinning.
A good one to keep handy in case you're worried about offending someone is <IMHO>
-- In My Humble Opinion.
One of our favorites is <ROTFL>, which stands for Rolling on the Floor Laughing. A shortened version is <LOL>--Laughing Out Loud. And if you get called away while chatting online, try <BRB>--Be Right Back.
 Remember that anything you post to a blog, newsgroup, forum or website and write during a public chat session is a public comment. You never know who's reading it or who may copy it and spread it around. It could come back to haunt you.
WATCH THIS...
A word of caution: Think before post.
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Learn the Net (www.learnthenet.com) is
Copyright 1996-2008.
Michael Lerner Productions.
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