Chatting online is a very different experience from any other form of communication. The ways you address someone, abbreviate phrases and describe an action are all subject to certain rules. Learning these rules in “netiquette,” or online etiquette can seem overwhelming at first. But most of these rules are actually very simple to understand — all you need is a good teacher!
Lesson 1: “WB”… Are We Talking “Buffy” Here?
Anyone who’s ever been in a chatroom has come across some sort of chat abbreviation. “LOL,” for example, is a popular abbreviation that stands for “laughing out loud.” Using these abbreviations in an online chat will show other people that you’re well versed in chatroom jargon. Here’s a shortlist of some of the most popular abbreviations people use:
- BRB = Be Right Back
- CYAL8R = See Ya Later
- HAGN = Have A Good Night
- KIT = Keep In Touch
- PM = Private Message
- SETE = Smiling Ear To Ear
- TOY = Thinking Of You
- WB = Welcome Back
Lesson 2: INDOOR VOICES!!!
Be very cautious about capitalizing your letters in an online chat. Capitalization is interpreted as yelling, and if you use it out of context, people might take offense. Even if no offense is taken, it can still be really annoying, like reading a magazine article in which every sentence ends with an exclamation point.
Lesson 3: And… *****Action*****!
Sometimes, you’ll want to express an action in a chat like a kiss, a hug, or a cyber slap. The format for doing this is to place asterisks around the action you’re trying to express (e.g., **kiss**). There’s no set number of asterisks to use — type as many as you like to express the intensity of the action. It’s important to note that asterisks are also sometimes placed around a phrase or sentence to reflect sarcasm. This practice is known as “sarcasm.”
Lesson 4: I’m Rubber, You’re Glue…
Trollers are people in chatrooms who post intentionally offensive statements just to get a rise out of you and instigate a chatroom battle. When someone offers constructive criticism or objection to something you say, it’s perfectly acceptable to respond to that person in the same constructive manner. But if someone is trying to just plain insult you without any reasonable cause, the best thing you can do is ignore that person. Responding to trollers gives them what they want, so never let a troller’s harsh words get to you.
Lesson 5: That’s Cyber Sexual Harassment!
Cybersex occurs when people in a chatroom exchange sexual fantasies with each other online. If you participate in any online chat, the occasional cybersex advance is pretty unavoidable. The best way to handle an unwanted cybersex advance is to respond the same way you would to any unwanted sexual advance: “No.” If the person making the advance persists after you’ve said no, ignore her or him or move to another chatroom. Another option is to report the person to the company or the person in charge of the chatroom.
Lesson 6: Respect the New Kid!
“Newbie” is a common term used to describe a new Internet user. Now that you’ve had some lessons in etiquette, you may be tempted to ridicule those you meet in cyberspace who are unfamiliar with the rules you’ve just learned. It’s important to be understanding of these newbies and treat them the way you would have wanted to be treated in their shoes. If someone violates one of the core netiquette rules, you can just explain the error in a kind, civil manner.