Human beings communicate with each other everyday of their lives. People must be able to communicate with each other effectively in order to function correctly. People must communicate daily in both their professional and personal lives. There are two kinds of communication that people use on a daily basis. We use written communication and spoken communication in our dealings with other people daily. People used to write letters or they used the telephone in order to communicate with others. Today, many people still use the telephone to communicate with others. In fact, today’s technology has given human beings the ability to use cell phones to communicate on a daily basis. In addition, some people still correspond through writing a letter on stationary and sending it through the United States Postal Service. However, writing a letter in this manner would be considered snail mail. Modern technology allows people to communicate using electronic mail or e mail. There is a certain way that people must communicate when sending email or when they are on the internet. This way of communicating is often labeled netiquette and e-mail netiquette.

Netiquette is also known as network etiquette. It is also a catch all term for the conventions of politeness and respect recognized on Usenet, in mailing lists, in live chat systems, and on other electronic forums such as Internet message boards. These conventions address the relationship between personal behavior, group phenomenon, and an outline for a dramatic set of guidelines for conduct that is conducive to pleasant, efficient, and agreeable interaction. The rules of netiquette are slightly different for newsgroups, private email, web forums, Internet Relay Chat, and other methods of communication.

Issues such as the level of tolerance for off topic discussions or spoilers may also vary from one newsgroup, forum, or channel to another. The rule of thumb in any of these discussion media is to lurk before you leap which involves getting a feel for the local conventions before engaging in conversation and inadvertently embarrassing oneself. Another commonly recommended precaution is to read the frequently asked questions if available. There is also a netiquette rule for how to deal with someone who has violated one of the rules of netiquette.

If one believes that somebody has violated a netiquette, they are advised to send them an email message by private email; one should not post a follow up to the offending post. It is important to be polite. The offending author may not have realized their mistake, may be a beginner, or may not even be responsible for the offense. This is because their account may have been used by somebody else, or the address may have been forged. In addition, a person who breaks netiquette over and over again may be doing it intentionally in order to disrupt the group. Then, this person could and should be blocked from participating in the group again. Be sure to read all of the rules and guidelines established by the community before getting into the group.