Forum Netiquette Guidelines

Netiquette Guidelines

Part of the culture of the Internet is built on the fact that an individual user can put forward any face he or she cares to present. Thus over time, various sets of rules that attempt to govern conduct on internet forums have evolved. We call those sets of rules "netiquette." To avoid taking up a great deal of space arguing the merits of differing systems of netiquette, the following general points are offered. All postings on the ANA Discussion Forum are individual’s opinions, and we encourage you to carefully consider the information shared on this public forum.

Recognize and Accept Cultural and Linguistic Differences

The Internet is international, and while English is generally accepted as the common language of the network, ANA and forum subscribers cannot afford to take the position that everyone on the Internet understands English well. It is important to be polite and understanding of others on the list who may have difficulty using the English language, just as one would be when meeting someone from a foreign country in person.

Additionally, care should be taken when using local idiom and slang. A common word or phrase used by Americans in everyday speech, for instance, might be taken as profanity or insult by those in other English-speaking countries, and may not be understood at all by non-native speakers of English. It is probably best to avoid non-standard English so as to provide the clearest and least-objectionable exchange of ideas.

Private Mail Should Dictate Private Responses

If someone on a discussion forum has sent a private message to you (i.e., not posted in the forum) and you have lost that person's address but want to respond, do not post private messages to the forum. Post a message to the forum only requesting that the person contact you again, without giving the details of any off-forum messages.

All forms of personal information including address, phone numbers, etc. should not be publicly posted on the forum, for the safety of our forum users. Private mail should be used to communicate this information.

Flaming is Inappropriate

Discussions will often result in disagreements. Rebuttals to another person's opinions or beliefs should always be made in a rational, logical and mature manner, whether they are made publicly or privately. "Flaming," or insulting another forum subscriber, is never appropriate. The ANA Discussion Forum exists to help acoustic neuroma patients find support and information, and making forum subscribers uncomfortable interferes with the purposes of the forum.

Flaming is the hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users. An Internet user typically generates a flame response to other posts or users posting on a site, and such a response is usually not constructive, does not clarify a discussion, and does not persuade others. Sometimes, flamers attempt to assert their authority, or establish a position of superiority over other users. Other times, a flamer is simply an individual who believes he or she carries the only valid opinion. This leads him or her to personally attack those who disagree. Occasionally, flamers wish to upset and offend other members of the forum, in which case they can be called "trolls". Most often however, flames are angry or insulting messages transmitted by people who have strong feelings about a subject.

Foul Language

Subscribers should refrain from abusive or derogatory language that might be considered offensive. ANA reserves the right to ban a user who disregards this guideline.

Postings in Threads - Off Topic

Non-related posts in a thread that are off topic and not AN related will be moved by the Moderator to the appropriate major category, and a PM will be sent with notification of the change. The General Category - AN Community - was designed for non-AN related postings. The goal of these adjustments is to keep all postings on track that will benefit all on the ANA Discussion Forum.

Unsolicited Advertising and Chain Letters

Most of these are contrary to appropriate use policies governing the use of the poster's Internet access provider. Not only that, they are annoying and (in the case of chain letters) often illegal. Please note that ANA does not distribute the email addresses of forum subscribers, and any unsolicited advertising and chain letters that appear on the forum should be reported to ANA at admin@anausa.org. Any type of self-promotion on the forum will be deleted.

Other Disruptive or Abusive Behavior

Be sure that you as a forum participator set a good example of positive interaction and good netiquette practice. Good manners are the same on the internet as they are in person - being polite, considerate of others, and respectful of opinions that may differ from your own are the key to successful interaction on the ANA Discussion Forum.

Moderator’s Role

Moderators represent ANA on the ANA Discussion Forum and as such have been granted special powers to enforce the rules of our ANA Discussion Forum. Their role is to make sure that all postings on the forum are appropriate. The moderators can move postings to different sections of the forum, edit the content of individual postings, answer questions (or help people with problems).

When postings go on for 3-4 postings back and forth on the same subject among 2-3 people in a bantering type of mode, as a courtesy to forum posters, moderators will use their own judgment to decide when to ask the participants to take their discussion off line via personal email.

If you have comments or questions for the moderators, please send an email to them using their PM. If you have comments and questions beyond this, contact ANA Director by sending a PM to the admin@anausa.org.

For More Information

You can find more information on Netiquette at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.