We need to talk about social media netiquette and how to politely make inquiries. This is because effective communication is important in every learning space you find yourself. E.g. professional situation, business meeting, seminar, virtual workshops, social media or conference.

Communication is an important social skill.

"There is an old adage that says one should seek to understand before seeking to be understood. I say, we have two ears and only one mouth for a reason -- because we need to listen twice as much as we speak." https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254264 

Remember the Human

When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant message, discussion post, text, or some other method, practice the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication. Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?"

Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly should not be lower.

You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone face-to-face? On most occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in the virtual world.

Know where you are in cyberspace

"Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) Depending on where you are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable in one area, where it might be considered inappropriate in another.

Respect other people's time and bandwidth

Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts.

As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous text or superfluous graphics.

Help keep flame wars under control

"Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion" (Shea, 1994). Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

Respect other people's privacy

Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled with care.

Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.

Don't abuse your power

Just like in face-to-face situations, there are people in cyberspace who have more "power" than others. They have more expertise in technology or they have years of experience in a particular skill or subject matter.

Maybe it's you who posesses all of this knowledge and power! Just remember: knowing more than others do or having more power than others may have does not give you the right to take advantage of anyone.

Credit: The Core Rules of Netiquette Shea, Virginia (1994. pp. 32-45).

Need more information? Ask for clarification, not an explanation.

If you do choose to use “explain,” be sure to be very specific about what you need explained, naming a particular idea, detail, or viewpoint. https://englishwithkim.com/could-you-please-clarify-vs-explain/

Learning to clarify what you heard and confirm your understanding are two of the most important conversation skills, because they show the other person that you are listening carefully, participating in the conversation, and want to be sure you understood everything.

When you ask someone to explain something to you, it suggests that you’re pretty lost, that you missed key points, or that they need to give you a more in-depth explanation so that you fully understand.

When you ask someone to clarify something for you, it suggests that you are following what the person is saying and understand the majority or all of the key points, but you need more details on a certain point.

When you ask someone for clarification, you are asking them to say something in a different way or provide more information so that you understand them better. This is different from asking a person to repeat something.

If you do choose to use “explain,” be sure to be very specific about what you need explained, naming a particular idea, detail, or viewpoint.

Effective communication is important especially online where you are dealing with diverse people.

Be a better Communicator!

Udo