Netiquette

[trottigy]

Every month another site I belongs to send this out. IT is EXCELLENT advice for all of us to. I thought I would post it here - minus specific references to that site.

Netiquette

If you don't know what Netiquette means it is triply important that you read this message. This is an automatic message sent monthly. It is sent monthly because we all need reminders.

So Netiquette is short for Network Etiquette.

For our purpose, it means trying to show the same consideration to other members of this list, brothers and sisters you may never have met in person, as you would to those you know personally in your own congregation.

Because it is part of the Internet, and you don't really know who anyone is, or that they are what they say they are, we do need to be more protective and cautious with folks on this list then those in our own congregation. But it does NOT mean we abandon common courtesy, or allow the attitudes of worldly mailing lists to influence that way we treat others. Any more than we allow the attitudes and actions of worldly co-workers to mold, shape, how we treat others in the workplace.

There are dozens of ways of reading the posts to this list and this often results in confusion and "mis-posts".

Some are reading the messages on the Web, some receive it as a daily digest, some as individual messages in their inbox. Some are viewing these messages on a tiny 2.4 inch screen, some on a phone, some a tablet, some a huge desktop screen.

Oh wait, someone just made a fool of you on the entire list, and you checked it is in the message archive for the list so you know it went to the whole list. Backup and think again. E-mail leaches emotions and intentions out of messages. Perhaps you only feel like a fool because you overlooked something and when it was pointed out you felt stupid.

Welcome to the club, anyone working with tech is going to feel stupid sooner or later. I've been on the internet since 1993. I've been using computers, off and on, since the 7th grade (for me that was 1971) and I find myself feeling like a dummy on a regular basis. Have you seen the book series "For Dummies"? It started with computer books, because with computers everyone, sooner or later, feels like a dummy.

"He called me a liar! That's slander!"

This is another common problem. Did the other person really call you a liar or did they simply say you were wrong about something? Again the way people receive the messages from here can create a rift. Perhaps they were replying to an earlier message in the thread and had not read your message when they posted the reply.

NO Brother ? he really did call me a liar. He wrote me a private message and used the word liar!!

Yes I am sorry, some people do over react and run their mouth off. And yes some do "flame" others in private replies. Sorry, I wish I had a good answer. The following references can be useful.

*** w97 5/15 p. 26 Beware of Imputing Wrong Motives ***

"For many, questioning the motives of others has become second nature. As Christians, we must be careful not to allow such attitudes to affect our relationship with faithful fellow believers. Though Jesus Christ urged us to be "cautious as serpents" while among our enemies, he did not say that we should be suspicious of his true followers. (Matthew 10:16)"

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"Know this, my beloved brothers. Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath." James 1:19 New World Translation

"Remember this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to human anger." James 1:19 New Jerusalem Bible

*** w11 4/15 p. 24 par. 7 Are You Allowing God�s Spirit to Lead You? ***

"What are the benefits of following this counsel? By taking time to calm down, pray about the matter, and consider how best to reply, a Christian allows himself to be led by God's spirit. (Prov. 15:1, 28) Under the influence of the spirit, he can manifest mildness and long-suffering. He is thereby equipped to heed the counsel found at Ephesians 4:26, 29: "Be wrathful, and yet do not sin . . . Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up as the need may be, that it may impart what is favorable to the hearers." Indeed, when we clothe ourselves with mildness and long-suffering, we contribute to the peace and unity of the congregation."

Jesus taught us "All things, therefore, that YOU want men to do to YOU, YOU also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean."Matthew 7:12 NWT

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When this was first posted one of the brothers pointed out three other things to keep in mind.

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Three other quick points:

English is not the native language of everyone on the list;

Spell check may have changed a word or words automatically; and

It is extremely common to miss a word in typing and end up saying the exact opposite of what is intended.

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[surfergirl]

Thanks Jerry.

I like the reminders. Its good advice.