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Common Principles of "Netiquette"
 | Remember that email messages are easily misinterpreted. They rarely carry the same message as "person-to-person"
conversation. There are no non-verbal signals, such as smiles,
frowns, a raised eyebrow or other body language, unless you choose to utilize "emoticons" (emotional icons) which are also
confusing and deplete of meaningful inflection.
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| Please focus on the issues and not the person. Issues can be debated, discussed and "philosophized" 'til the cows come home
without even mentioning a single name. Pointing fingers only serves to divide us into the "good and the bad".
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| Avoid "I agree" or "I disagree" with "John
Doe". If you see an issue you agree with and feel is important, simply build upon it; add your own ideas of credibility to it, or
repackage it so others may understand it better. If you dissagree with it, simply present your own ideas which may be
different, or ask a question about the issue which gets others to respond from additional perspectives. Not pointing to the author
of contention will absolve you and that person from personally attacking each other.
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| If you simply cannot contain yourself in ire due to someone else's viewpoint, don't fire off a response in haste to the
whole list. Either take it away from the general list of subscribers and send it directly to the author, or wait until
you can respond without focusing on the person.
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| Keep in mind that a person's values are his/her link to their dignity, ethics, reputation and sense of
competence. Our values are a collective and living/changing set of virtues and characteristics based on the many paths we
have experienced in life. Since none of us has walked in exactly the same path, we have many different values. Keep in
mind that attacking another person's values may be interpreted by them as questioning their dignity and competence.
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| Keep in mind that issues are seldom as simple as "either/or", and often are relative to a larger and complex system of which
individuals are often a product.
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| If we are truly to learn, as opposed to "digging in our heals"
with our own positions on a topic, then we will be asking "why" an individual feels they way they do, and trying to
spend a few minutes in their shoes, rather than attacking their intelligence and values. |
Other Guidelines for Quality Postings
| Use a significant and meaningful SUBJECT line.
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| Sign your posting with at least your name. Include your preferred
email address, and your organizational affiliation for added relevance.
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| When replying to or referencing a previous posting, please refrain from
including the entire previous message. Oftentimes, just using the same
SUBJECT line is sufficient for the reader to correlate the relevance of your
posting. If you feel it necessary to reference certain portions of a
previous message, then include only the relevant text from that message,
preferably in quoted format, along with your reply. For example:
> This would be a line of text or a paragraph
from the original message.
Formulate a response on the lines immediately thereafter.
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| Since most of the members of FINAID-L are administrators of Financial Aid,
either in colleges, universities, government or third-parties, it's safe to
say that this mailing list can be considered a professional resource (as
opposed to an informal "chat" board) with all the rights and
responsibilities thereof. An important part of acting in a
professional manner is the lack of profanity in our conversations.
There are many, many ways to communicate your message without having to
resort to vulgarity, no matter how upset you may be. |
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