Netiquette

"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" - J. K. Rowling


Wikipedia defines etiquette as: “... a code of behavior that influences expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group."

Rules of etiquette are usually unwritten, but aspects of etiquette have been codified from time to time. Rules of etiquette encompass most aspects of social interaction in any society, though the term itself is not commonly used. A rule of etiquette may reflect an underlying ethical code, or it may reflect a person's fashion or status."

Interacting online is quite a different experience than interacting in person. In fact it is much more competitive and much more difficult to convey who you are and what you do. It’s for those reasons and more that as businesswomen online, we must be very cognizant of how we represent ourselves and our businesses in this very public arena. The art of Netiquette has never been more important!

Honesty is the BEST Policy:

Embellishments. Plagiarism. Outright copying of another person’s work, words or images. Happens every day. If it hasn't happened to you, then it's probably happened to someone you know. Sometimes it's intentional, other times it's not.

It’s tempting to see someone who seems to have it all together and not be pulled to borrow inspiration from it. It sure beats starting with a blank slate and a vague idea. Right? Wrong! But for more reasons that you might think...

It’s All About YOU:

The reason you began your venture was because it was something close to your heart. Something inside you called you to want to make a go of this. As in life, your journey will look different than anyone else’s. You need to uncover your path based on your own experiences and make your own mistakes. Along the way you will uncover strengths you ever knew you had.

You’ll also stumble, and probably end up back at square one. A lot. And it’s frustrating. But it’s necessary. All of that frustration and angst will bring you a renewed sense of strength and accomplishment when all is said and done. It will deliver you to your most authentic place.

When you take from another and modify it to be your own, not only are you cheating yourself of the experiences your own road brings, you’re being unethical. You're running the very high risk of damaging your reputation and even incurring some pretty serious legal troubles. 

By embarking on our own personal journey to originality, somewhere along the line self-discovery and self confidence increase. Both are much needed strengths in the online business world.

If you haven’t explored your idea from its beginning stages and watched it develop according to your own thoughts and feelings and allowed it to become exclusively yours- it will never truly feel right.

That’s What SHE Said:

If you would like to repost someone else’s words, images, music, work, technique… ASK PERMISSION. If you’re not sure if it’s OK, it probably isn’t. Re-posting without permission is illegal and the laws are very strict. Between plagiarism, intellectual property rights infringement and copyright or trademark laws – there’s a good chance you don’t want any part of all that. Not only is it rude and distasteful, it's illegal.

If you really want to re-post someone else’s work or words, email them and ask. I have yet to see a website or blog WITHOUT blatant contact information. And whether they ask for it or not, the polite thing to do is properly credit the author/artist and provide a direct link back to their page.

Often times an infringement on whatever level may be a sincere and honest mistake and completely unintentional. Clearly those instances can be dealt with rationally and on a case by case basis.

This too shall pass:

Inevitably, you will get upset with something that happens online. You may feel angry, sad, insulted or even violated. Perhaps you are the victim of one of these online etiquette breaches. Maybe someone swiped your work~or said something unfavorable about it. Maybe someone posted something you took offense to. Perhaps someone sent a tersely worded email. Whatever the case…you can’t ever go wrong with being nice. Yup. Kill em with kindness.

Trust me when I tell you that while the knee jerk reaction is to fire a sharply worded reply, it is never a good idea. Even if some time has passed and you still feel the same-there was no harm in waiting it out.

Rudeness is never really warranted. Don’t speak negatively of another. You never know who knows who. If it is not something you would say to their face, don’t say it at all. Besides, people don’t like negativity. It brings us down. All of us.

The fact of the matter is that ALL contact is memorable-why not leave them with a positive memory of their experience with you? Doing a kindness for someone is never forgotten and often outweighs everything else. Be the bigger person. It will never fail.

Bottom line: Be Yourself.

Get out there. Do your best. Present original and authentic content for your website and blog. Build your own customer base and your own golden, bullet proof reputation. You are sure to be a success!

You’ll meet people who want to work with you because you are ‘one-of-a-kind’. Make them want what you have. Something they can’t find anywhere else! They’ll be back again and again. AND they’ll tell their friends. Invite them to appreciate all you are and all you have to offer. They’ll like you for you!

So....Be yourself.

You’re pretty amazing~

Now go prove it to yourself...and the world!

Melissa Bolton, Copywriter & Internet Marketing Strategist

Designher Brands | melissa@designherbrands.com  

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