Following the "Netiquette" rules that govern online communication:
You'll find that a special set of personal conduct rules apply to online courses, commonly referred to as Netiquette.
Here's an example:
Let's say you just logged in to your course for the first time. You open your course bulletin board (a public area where students and instructor can communicate with one another) and see a note from your instructor, welcoming you to the course. She invites each of you to post a response to her note and asks you to introduce yourself. This sounds pretty painless! So you eagerly reply, telling your peers a little about yourself. The next day you log back in to the course and see that your instructor has replied to your note. She thanks you for your introduction, but tells you not to shout next time. (Huh?? What does she mean?) She goes on to explain that you typed your note in all capital letters (looks like you forgot to turn off your "cap" key on your keyboard). In online communications, she says, things written in all capital letters are interpreted as shouting. Who knew?

Need some help?
If you are going to take part in online communications, you should familiarize yourself first with the rules of Netiquette that govern the Internet. Here are a few ground rules to get you started:

• In general, messages should be short and to the point. Electronic forums are not good places to give a dissertation! On the other hand, you sometimes may have lengthy postings when submitting your assignments by e-mail.
• Make sure that you use a meaningful subject line, so your readers will have a clear idea of what the message contains.
  

  Good example - Subject: My feedback on the Taylor article.
  Poor example - Subject: Interesting Stuff.

• When you are not using the Web-based course e-mail tool but are using your personal e-mail client to send a message to another student or the instructor, be sure to reference the course number in the subject line (i.e., CIS 299).
• Include your name at the bottom of your messages. Your signature footer should include your full name and any contact information you wish to share (phone number, fax number, etc.)
• Use caps sparingly Capitalize words only to highlight an important point or to distinguish a title or heading. You might use * asterisks * around a word to make a stronger point. As discussed above, capitalizing whole words that are not titles is generally seen as SHOUTING.
• Be professional and careful in what you say about others. Electronic messages are easily forwarded. Don't say anything you wouldn't want others to see.
• When reacting to someone else's message, address the ideas, not the person. Antagonistic messages are called "flames" and flaming someone is bad Netiquette.
• Be sure your computer is equipped with anti-virus software (to avoid sending or receiving contaminated files). Make sure anti-virus software is running and updated monthly.
• Be careful when using sarcasm and humor. Without face-to-face communications, your joke may be viewed as criticism.
• Don't overuse acronyms. Acronyms can be used to abbreviate when possible; however, messages that are filled with acronyms can be confusing and annoying to the reader.
  

  Examples:
  LOL=laugh out loud
  FYI=for your information
  BTW=by the way
  OTOH=on the other hand

• Be careful not to get too personal too fast.
• Electronic communications environments can seem surprisingly intimate. In just a few exchanges, you might be tempted to share your life's story with someone you actually don't know very well!
• Be respectful of other, diverse opinions. Remember that the Internet and the BSC online courses bring people together from around the world. Don't assume that everyone shares the same views or background.
• Don't include any obscenities in your messages.
• Don't forward messages without asking first.
• It is considered extremely rude to forward someone else's e-mail or bulletin board postings without permission.
• Don't send commercial "advertisements" to your classmates.
• Don't forward "chain mail" electronically.
• Be aware of potential compatibility problems when sharing electronic files.
• Don't share copyrighted materials.

Not everything on the Internet is "fair use." You and Bismarck State College are liable for any copyright infringement you make.