What is [n]etiquette?
Netiquette refers to rules of good behavior in Internet communication. The cardinal rule, of course, is to be considerate of other people, even though you may never have to face them. Advertising in a newsgroup through email is a fairly common faux pas. These unsolicited ads would create enormous clutter if they weren’t so strongly discouraged (their senders may be effectively ostracized if users choose to block out messages from offenders). A website is the most appropriate place to advertise because those who are interested can come to you. Typing your comments completely in capital letters (“shouting”) is another Internet taboo.
Before posting or emailing a question, please use the available local resources, such as the OpenVMS manuals, the HELP, and the resources and information in and referenced by this FAQ. Please use these first. Also please specifically read the release notes and (if appropriate) the cover letter for the product you are using. (The release notes are generally placed in SYS$HELP:.) Quite often, these simple steps will allow you to quickly find the answer to your own question-and more quickly than waiting for a response to question posted to a newsgroup, too. These steps will save you time, and will also help ensure you have a good reputation with the folks that might be included to answer one of your future questions, a question not covered in these resources.
This is a broad topic, but it can be summed up as “Don’t make life difficult for other readers of the group”. There are numerous places where guides to basic netiquette are posted, including newsgroups news.answers and news.announce.newusers, someplace on AOL (try keyword:Netiquette – if this doesn’t work, please let me know.) and in many books and websites. Try http://www.albion.com/netiquette/ Some additional advice, mostly cribbed from comp.os.ms-windows.win95.
“Netiquette [from “network etiquette”] noun. The conventions of politeness recognised in discussion forums, such as avoidance of cross-posting to inappropriate forums and refraining from commercial pluggery outside the business forums.” (Quoted from Google’s glossary page) For more information about general Netiquette you can try looking at About.com’s Netiquette links.
