Ashes of Roses. Review on Netiquettes

''From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success.”

Netiquette means the etiquettes or the behavior you display while you are online. Of course, there are certain rules and regulations, some basic courtesies to be followed when you are online, whether you are a part of a forum or you are sending or receiving emails. Make your online experience a source of happiness and pleasure.

Do remember that you will meet all kinds of people on the net, exactly the way you would in real life. You may make some great friends who you would never have got a chance of meeting if you were not online. At the same time, you will come across people who you would rather not have the misfortune of knowing in real life but again, you bump into them on the net.

1. How to behave yourself while you are online ?

How you behave in real life reflects how you behave on the net. For example, if you are a nice and a polite person, it shows. And if you had a childhood trauma, if you suffer from multiple personality syndrome or schizophrenia, it will show again. Jokes apart, the tone should always be courteous and polite. You should respect other people even if you may not agree with their opinions. Being sarcastic or bursting out in anger does not take the discussion forward.It just dries up the discussion totally since emotions override the intellect.In any case, remember, your online personality is exactly your real personality. For example, I have met two MSians : Sonika and Jai. Well, they are exactly like their online personalities. Jai is polite, courteous and a true gentleman while Sonika is fun loving and a great company.

2. Think before you press ‘Send’

Something comes into your mind, you hastily type it and press ‘Send’. And live to regret it. Sounds familiar ? Well, it happens to everyone, especially the impulsive and spontaneous people. Also, the madcap and reckless people, like yours truly. Balance the act. And think before you leap, er…send. If you are not sure, then take some time before you formulate your ideas into objective and unprejudiced thoughts. It’s better to be cautious than to look back and regret your actions.

3. How to respond if someone is being openly rude to you on the net ?

My advice is to let it go, if this happens for the first time because it may happen that due to impulsive behavior or in the heat of the moment, people may type some heated words and press the ‘send’ button too soon. Then something like ego may come in the way and things may get blown up. So let it go the first time. However, if the same person dogs you and continues to be rude or offensive to you, then the best course is to avoid this personality completely. Ignoring does not mean you are being a coward. It just means that you would rather not get into a brawl because you are a cultured and civilized person.You have been brought up with care and given the best values and you would rather stick to being refined and sophisticated even when provoked.

4. How to respond to abuse on the net ?

Abuse is hard to take, whether in person or on the net. Your reaction can range from humiliation to extreme anger and a need to give back in exactly the same coin that you get. Again, what is required is a cool head and logical thinking. Reporting the person may to the concerned authorities may be the best option. While the action is being taken, it’s best to remove yourself mentally from the situation and understand that this abuse is not personal and nothing to do with you.Just like real life, there are mentally imbalanced people on the net also and if they happen to target you, it may be more of a coincidence than a purposeful action. Hence, don’t take it personally.

In the end a few pointers :

1. Never type in capital letters, since it seems like you are shouting full throttle in our ears. It not only hurts our ears, it sometimes also hurts our sensibilities. I mean, every word seems to be leaping off the screen and dancing a wild, psychedelic dance in the air before fading away.

2. Avoid strong emotions and prejudices to cloud your judgement. Emotions are best left at home and prejudices should be trashed. You are dealing with people of different religions, sensibilities, cultures and ideas. It’s futile to expect people to agree with everything you say. On the other hand, don’t feel angry and charged just because someone’s viewpoint is contrary to yours.

3. Smile, because life is short. Enjoy yourself. Make new friends. Share new ideas and have healthy discussions. Enrich your life. Avoid the pitfalls just like you hold a rose. Avoid the thorns. Because ‘Ye sama kal ho na ho…’