Internet: Communication Based on Rules

Safe Social Networks

Over the past two years, social networks have become an integral part of the virtual world, bringing together people from every corner of the globe. Searching for old friends, relatives, classmates, or making new connections has all become possible within these platforms. Anyone can use them to find the people they need—just register on the site and start interacting with other users in this virtual community.

The need to follow proper communication rules on social networks has arisen due to an increase in cases of fraud, cyberbullying, and intimidation. When using popular social networks, it is essential to upload personal photos and files only to those you have designated as “friends.” This way, only the people you approve will be able to see them. At the same time, be careful when adding friends—don’t accept everyone just for the sake of having a large number of them. The joy of having many “friends” can quickly turn into trouble if you’re not cautious. Such carelessness can easily make you a target for malicious pranksters who may use your personal information to harass you. Enemies could also steal your photos and contact details from social networks and post them on other sites where you wouldn’t want them to appear. Scammers, spammers, and phishers will certainly add your information to their mailing lists if they get it in the form of an AOL message or email address.

ICQ: We Stand Firmly Against Such Behavior!

Another convenient way to communicate over distance is through programs like ICQ. We’ve become so accustomed to using them that sometimes our conversations reduce to simple greetings like “Hello! How are you?” Fortunately, it’s not as awkward as saying “What’s up?…” Here are some basic rules for communicating on ICQ, Skype, QIP, and other chat programs:

1. There’s no point in sending someone a message like “Hello! (smiling face)” just to say “Hello”.

2> There’s absolutely no need to maintain continuous conversations with everyone whose account is active at the moment.

3> Smilies are great, but they look different in various programs. Using only emojis to communicate can also be confusing.

4> Text written in all capitals is often perceived as aggressive or threatening. Be careful not to use this style unless you really mean it!

5> “Ok” is a polite way to indicate that you’ve received the message but are currently busy or unable to continue the conversation.

6> Try to respond in a timely manner. If you’re busy, let them know, but don’t make them wait too long without any updates.

7> Remember that people can’t hear the tone of your messages. Be careful not to send messages that could be misinterpreted emotionally.

8> If you’re really extremely busy, it’s better not to use the chat function at all or to go into “invisible” mode to avoid keeping others waiting unnecessarily.

9> Always say goodbye to the people you’re chatting with when you leave the online community.

These are just some of the basics to keep in mind when communicating on the Internet. Even by following these simple rules, you’ll always make a positive impression and become a valuable member of any online community!