Blurring the Lines: Lesson plan on netiquette By David Kaufman EM 630: Cyberethics

Objectives Students will understand that the rules of netiquette are standards that are based in real life Students will know some of the rules of good netiquette Students will be able to explain what would happen if these rules were not in place

10 Core Rules of Netiquette Rule 1: Remember the HumanRule 1: Remember the Human - just because we do not see the face… Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspaceRule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace chatroom vs. ing rumors Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidthRule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth - be concise Rule 5: Make yourself look good onlineRule 5: Make yourself look good online - judged by how you represent yourself Rule 6: Share expert knowledge Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control Rule 8: Respect other people's privacyRule 8: Respect other people's privacy - don’t snoop Rule 9: Don't abuse your powerRule 9: Don't abuse your power - administrators Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakesRule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes - at least initially (Albion, 2005) Courage Empathy Respect Responsibility Trust Justice (Willard, 2002)

Assignment What are the unspoken rules of where you are? Activity - Pick a place and write at least 7 of the unspoken rules of that environment. Ie. The mall, the library, a church, etc. Students can work in groups of 2 or 3. What would happen if these rules were not in place? Students will complete a PowerPoint that contains no more than 10 slides comparing the rules of netiquette to another realm of their lives.

Movie theater example and what would happen if…? Rule 1: Remember the Human - There are other people in the theater although I can not see them. Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of being in public that you follow in your home – yelling is not acceptable, cell phones are not acceptable Check inside test Rule 3: Know where you are – talking to a friend at home vs. at a theater Golden rule test Rule 4: Respect other people – if someone asks you to refrain… If everybody did it test Rule 5: Make yourself look good – you are still a representative of (school, town, family, etc.) Front page test

Movie Theater Cont’d. Rule 6: Share/participate – Does this realm (the theater) want my input or am I purely a spectator? Rule 7: How to disagree – if you think the movie is bad, what is appropriate behavior? Leave? Complain to management? Write a letter? Blog? Talk during the rest of the film? Adult check test Rule 8: Respect other people – social contract – no talking, no cell phones, no outside food, babies?, etc. If everybody did it test Rule 9: Don't abuse your power – you are the consumer, what does that mean you can and can’t do? Golden rule test Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes – if the theater makes a mistake (wrong change, something wrong with the film, etc.) Check inside test

Possible Repercussions Asked to leave Embarrass yourself or your community Get in a fight Pay a fine Get arrested (on record)

How is this related to the Web? There are repercussions to our actions just as in real life Our actions do affect other people just as in real life We need to be responsible citizens offline and onlines

Frameworks: Utilitarian Person’s cell phone vibrates during previews It is a friend who went to a party last night + Benefit I can hear how the party was I’m not bored during the previews I can share the news with the person sitting next to me I can feel cool that I get phone calls - Costs I bother all the other people in the theater Conclusion: Cost outweighs the benefits It is not an ethical decision I should not answer the phone or should go in the hallway In life, these require fast calculations on a case by case basis

Assessment: Evaluation CriteriaPoints Group/Individual Name(s) & Title and Length of presentation should be no longer than 15 minutes allowing for approximately 5 minutes of discussion (At the end) 20 At least 7 of the rules of netiquette are related to the student’s real world example 30 Student incorporated what would happen if rules were not followed 10 Presentation is clear, accurate, and well organized, focusing our attention on your response to the questions 20 Analysis considers different perspectives20 (Whittier, 2008)

References Albion. (2005). The Core Rules of Netiquette. Retrieved on July 14, 2008 from Whittier, D. (2008). Core Presentation Evaluation. Cyberethics Syllabus. Boston University: Boston. Willard, N. (2002). Computer ethics, etiquette, and safety for the 21st century student. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).