When using a new communications media, it is often difficult to know how to make your message come across effectively. These guidelines will assist you in authoring effective messages. These guidelines cover the ECSI site. For a more comprehensive list of Net Etiquette, visit the Netitquette Home Page.

Posting a message to a public message area is like writing an article for a newspaper or magazine. You get one chance to get your message through. If no one knows what you're talking about after reading the first paragraph, most won't finish reading the article. A good message is just like a good newspaper article. Make your point clear as early as possible. Give as many facts as possible.

Plain text is the preferred message format. Many newsreaders are beginning to accept HTML but not everyone has the "latest and greatest". Plain text is the one common format that can be read on any terminal. As more newsreaders support HTML, HTML will become an acceptable standard for messages. Use it sparingly until you are sure your audience can read it.

Do:

• Make your message brief and to the point.
• Read and review your message before sending it. Make sure your thoughts are clear and well organized. Good spelling, grammar and punctuation will also make your message easier to understand.
• Use upper and lower case. All upper case implies you are shouting. Type messages like you would write a business letter.
• Make sure your subject line is clear and reflects the contents of your message. Your subject line will be your readers first impression. Everyone wants to make a good first impression!
• Be professional and courteous in your messages and your replies.
• Put your message in an area where it belongs. You won't find a sports article about yesterday's ball game in the high society section.
• Read other replies before you add yours. Someone else may have already addressed the issue. Its always difficult to speak intelligently when you only catch part of the conversation.
• Include portions of the original message when you reply. They give context to your comments. Include only as much as you need. Usually, there is little value in including the entire message as it is still available for people who want to read the original.

Don't:

• Wander off-topic or ramble on. Make sure your reader gets your message 'clear as a bell' by being concise but complete.
• Reply or follow-up to your own message. If you forgot to say something in the first place, a self-followup may be unavoidable. Try to read and review your message before sending it to limit the need for multiple messages.
• Post messages solely to point out other people's errors in typing, spelling or grammar -- everyone makes mistakes.
• Harass, threaten or intentionally embarrass another participant. Hateful, racially or ethnically objectional content have no place in this forum.
• Give intentionally misleading or incorrect information. When you are not sure your answer is accurate, make sure your reader knows the difference between opinion and fact. People hope to share information and maybe learn something here, not to walk away more confused.

About Emoticons:
All text-based electronic from one large drawback: conversations become impersonal. People cannot see your expression or hear the inflection in your voice. That's why someone invented emoticons (emotion icons). They give you a way to convey to your reader the emotion you intended. While too much of anything is not good, controlled use of emoticons can keep misunderstandings to a minimum.