Ä Area: TRADEWARS DI ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Msg#: 65 Rec'd Date: 03-16-94 04:18 From: Bill Wynne @1:130/402*4 Read: Yes Replied: No To: Y'all @1:124/3114*4 Mark: Subj: additional guidelines ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Although not Rules, per se, the following guidelines are to be considered "desirable conduct" suggestions. ======================================================================= Communication Etiquette in Modern Media Author *Unknown* When involved in communications, especially in computer echos, awareness of certain concepts make the activity more fun for everyone. Two main concepts stand out, primarily because people tend to REACT to negative messages with negative responses. 1. Impersonal responses to personal attacks: Computer communications are almost always written. Due to the fact that words carry only limited information, the noise to information ratio can become very dense, with a sentence the sender considered very mild becoming a hurricane of emotion in the mind of the receiver. Therefore try to keep personal nouns and pronouns, like "you" and "your" out of any message that may cause disagreement among the other members of the echo or net. If necessary to express disagreement with an idea, couching the words of your message in impersonal terms works best. Bad response: "I think you are stupid to think motherboards should just be thrown away rather than fixed." This message may well cause the receiver to respond with some nasty reply, clogging the net with negative personal argument. Better response: "I have always found that motherboards could be fixed." This presents an opposite view, but the receiver will less likely consider it a personal attack. If someone disagrees with you personally, or even attacks you viciously, you have three options on an Echo or Net. You can simply ignore the message rather than responding. You can respond in an impersonal but polite way, not letting the attack affect you at all. Or you can send a message to the Moderator, expressing your unease at the tone or attack of the message you received and let the moderator take care of it. 2. Understanding the Twit: Occasionally, someone joins a net or echo with only one interest, to cause as much uproar as possible. They may simply personally attack every person on the net, or sometimes they attack every idea or subject thread they find, for the same purpose. They are often racist, sexist, nationist, or just plain stupid. If the rest of the members of the net refuse to communicate with the twit, S/he will usually lose interest and stop posting. Sometimes normally reasonable people become twits without realizing it, taking some argument or disagreement past the point of curtesy and drawing in others. The discipline of electronic communication really requires a more detached viewpoint than normal in other communication medias, because the usual subliminal undercurrents of communication one receives in other two-way mediums do not exist. Sarcasm and humor can easily become misunderstood, and cause unintended ill feelings. In electronic mediums, honesty, tact, and straightforwardness are of great significance. Without them, communication can stop cold. In dealing with twits, especially the more obvious ones, there are five common sense rules I always use: Echoer's Common Sense Rule #1 (ECSR1): If possible, never READ twit's posts. Step over manure or your shoe will stink. Echoer's Common Sense Rule #2 (ECSR2): Never ANSWER a twit's posts!!!!! Stirring manure makes it stink worse. Echoer's Common Sense Rule #3 (ECSR3): Never QUOTE a twit's posts!!!!! That's like smearing manure on your friends! Echoer's Common Sense Rule #4 (ESCR4): Never MENTION a twit to another echoer!!! That's like sharing a manure sandwich! Echoer's Common Sense Rule #5 (ECSR5): LET THE MODERATOR HANDLE THE TWIT!!!!! He has the right kind of manure shovel. With these few hints, communication over computers can become a true joy instead of a cold hassle. ======================================================================= When replying to an apparent perceived "flame" in this echo, count slowly to 10 before replying. If you still feel like answering in the same mode, count to 10 again. Keep repeating the above. Thanks for your Co-operation, Bill Wynne Co-Moderator TRADE-WARS -!- RoboBoard/FX v1.03b ! Origin: Revelstone Ft. Worth,TX. (817)732-1767/735-9473 (1:130/402)