To make your learning experience as rich and rewarding as possible, there are essential rules of courtesy that apply to e-mails, message boards, and chat rooms. These may already be familiar to you, or this may be the first time you have encountered them. Please take a moment to read them over.

Courtesy Do's and Don'ts:

1. Don't type all in CAPS when sending emails or posting messages. This is SHOUTING and is considered rude.
2. Never send unsolicited commercial e-mail to anyone, for any reason. Remember, e-mail addresses are like phone numbers. Many people do not wish to deal with an email box full of advertisements.
3. Respect the privacy of others (see #2),
4. Never forward jokes or unimportant mail to anyone without their permission.
5. Do not post or foward private e-mail or comments made in chat rooms or on message boards without the author's permission. This is called 'reposting' and can get you banned from my course chat or message board, and will make you a pariah on most other lists/chats.
6. Remember that what you say in an email or on a message board can literally 'live forever': don't say anything you would not want to see quoted in the local newspaper!
7. Zip large attachments: some folks have slow dial-up connections and not zipping (compressing) can cause downloads to take hours!
8. Do Not Foward Virus Warnings: these are almost always hoaxes that panic people into deleting real working components of programs like Windows.
9. Never engage in Flaming on chat or message boards (personal attacks).
10. Use line breaks between paragraphs: makes your messages much easier to read.
11. Do Not Copy graphics or text from another person's website without their permission. Respect copyright.
12. Be sure to check FAQ's before mailing a website owner any questions.

top

Because the Internet is a virtual environment, where people are heard but rarely seen, it is important to remember that you will be judged by the look of your writing (and not by your looks!). Make sure you present yourself the way you wish others to perceive you when they don't have the benefit of seeing you or getting clues about you from your facial expressions and body language.

Written language is how others will get to know you. It's not just what you say, but how you say it. Are you using proper forms of address? Complete sentences? Correct grammar? Punctuation? Do you refrain from swearing or using profane language? Did you use your spell-checker?

top

Courtesy for this course:

1. Remember that if you are emailing me during non-office hours, I may not be online to answer immediately. I do go online several times each day and will answer your query as soon as possible.
2. Read all instructions carefully before emailing me to ask a question. Most questions are already answered in the syllabus or the course modules. If you read and still have questions, or if you notice an error, please do not hesitate to let me know.
3. Please do not ask other instructors any questions about this class. The other program instructors do not have access to the course website and will not be able to give you accurate information. If you have questions or problems, ask me.
4. For technical problems with BlackBoard, you must contact TechSupport: click on HELP on the BlackBoard toolbar at the top of the screen, or e-mail: deonline@utb.edu.

top

©2003-2008
Betsy Freeth