Online communication can be frustrating at times. To ease this frustration when participating in a distance course, there are certain rules that one should follow. By engaging in basic on-line etiquette (netiquette) you can make your online experience more enjoyable for others in the class and yourself.

1. Avoid using too many acronyms. The basic acronyms (abbreviations for a phrase) are OK to use as long as they are common ones. Here are a few examples.

2. Make sure that what your communication is clearly written and understandable.

3. Don't spend too much time drafting. You want to make it informal unless you are submitting an assignment.

4. Keep you messages concise.

7. When responding to a specific question or comment make sure that you state this in your message. For example: "In response to...".

8. Avoid sarcasm while communicating via e-mail, chat or bulletin boards. Viewers are not always able to detect sarcasm or a joking manner without seeing facial expressions.

9. If the correspondence does not require you to answer, it is courteous to send an acknowledgement that you did receive the message. This will prevent frustration on the part of the sender.

10. Check your e-mail or bulletin board at least once a day. This is especially prevalent to individuals working on a group project.

11. Follow basic language guidelines. Do not use offensive or harsh language and use proper sentence structure.