Code of Conduct

Etiquette is a guide to acceptable social behaviour. When we interact with others online, we use the same kind of rules. This is sometimes called Net Etiquette or Netiquette. This is more than just "good manners" - it is how we show respect for other people.

When you send an email in a Book Rap, it will usually be to someone who is much like you. They will probably be the same age, and will share many of the same interests. When you begin, they will not know you and you will not know them. The only way you can measure each other's character is through what is said and, perhaps more importantly, how it is said.

This means that the words you use:

• Must be concise - a good message is a short message!
• Must be clearly written so that your message (or response) makes sense
• Must be as free from spelling and grammatical errors or typos as you can make it
• Must be considerate of the readers and not offend them
• Must never be rude or sarcastic
• Must never be in all capital letters - this is called SHOUTING!

You can use some symbols as well as words to help make your message clear. These are called emoticons or smileys (smilies). They were first invented to make email messages more like human conversation. Just as someone knows your mood from your face, a smiley (which looks like a face when viewed from the side) helps you to show your emotion and adds some humanity to the words on the screen.

Some common smileys are:

• :-) smiley face
• ;-) wink
• :-( sad, unhappy, upset

You should also remember that when you send a message from a school email account, you become its ambassador. By sending an inappropriate message, you are reflecting poorly on both yourself and your school.

Last Modified: 21:05:00 Wednesday, 17 September, 2008

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