Netiquette
A very important consideration PRIOR to utilizing social media is to discuss proper online etiquette. Doing so up front should prevent issues later. Controversial topics can lead to heated discussions and/or flaming. Below is a good list of core rules.
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
As with any venture, there have to be ground rules along with consequences. A simple number 1 policy should be respect for other positions, in other words, agree to disagree. One who is able to be a little more open minded while maintaining their beliefs and core values many times learn something. It does not mean compromising their stand, it means allowing others to believe their stand.
I speak with my student prior and during and remind of proper etiquette and how it relates to real world professional communication...
Excellent rules. Thank you for sharing this resource. My favorite is the first one which I believe encompasses them all. As long a we "Remember the Human" we will be kind enough, non judgmental enough in our postings, and we will double think before typing something that we would not like to read if addressed to ourselves. (When driving, I apply the same rule. In front of me there is not just a white Chevrolet truck, there is an actual human being who did not slept well inside, and next to him there is not a red Honda but an old lady who is terrified about driving on the freeway but she got there by mistake).
It would be great if we could promote this rules among our students, they probably spend much more time online than us. In my previous job there was a non credit seminar for freshmen and one of the sessions could not have been more in topic with this post. The session was "Creating Your Professional Persona" and its main focus was to create awareness of how today's over sharing may lead to tomorrow's professional failure.
JOANA,
I also believe a freshman course such as this really is essential in building strong character in our students. I was fortunate enough to have taken such a course during my undergrad studies and it really changed my outlook on life. One example being since completing the course I provide pro bono video production services for various charities such as The American Heart Association and our local Holocaust Museum at least once a year. Technology is a tool to assist us in our daily lives, but it should not be all consuming and as you have stated, we do need to "remember the human".
Thank you for sharing.
Best,
Theresa Schmitt
I agree. I try to engage professional behavior by saying if this was being viewed by the general public in a live broadcast how would you want to be perceived? They seem to get the idea and act appropriately.
