OnlineEtiquette

UPDATED On March 20, 2007

Disclaimer: All information on this page has been gathered from articles..books..personal experience or testimonials of others. I am not personally recommending use of any of the ideas presented here...It is for your information only. Information contained here may be subject to debate. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Kesti16 assumes no responsibility for how information presented is used by the public.

When in a chat room...it is rude to take up space just talking on IMS when others are waiting to come in.

(especially in a help chat)

Changing names and coming into a chat room to spy or to act out your deviant side is childish...sick and disrupting...those who practise this should get a life.

Iming someone in a chat room is rude. It implies gossiping about others who are in chat. If a person is in chat they must want to chat. If you have something to say...send an e-mail...tell the person in chat...they have mail.

When you are on an IM continuing to send more and more as you think of things...after the goodbyes were said is very inconsiderate. Just the annoying sound is enough to drive me crazy...let alone the stop and start of your mail or whatever you are doing.

Iming someone when they just sign on is also rude.

Most people come on line to do something. Unless you are sure it was to "talk to you"....wait for awhile. Then ask if they are too busy to visit..or if they have time to answer just one question. Give them a time window. (Escape Hatch)

Do not e-mail someone to tell them to open their IMS..Why do you think they closed them????

If you have more IMS than you can handle...(with me that is two)...tell one of the parties you will get back to them. If you have given time to the first one and the business has been finished....go on to the new one. (after you have excused yourself politely)

E-mails are nice. You can open them at your leisure.

If you have something that you need to ask and you want to make sure it is noticed...Put Important in the subject box.

To close your IMS you should go under People at the top of your screen and select instant message..In the top where you would normally type the name...type

$IM_OFF...then click on Available at the bottom of the IM. To turn them back on...type in the same place you would normally type the persons screen name...$IM_ON and click Available at the bottom.

Soon you will be able to do this rapidly and as soon as you sign on...you will do it to prevent interruptions if you have surfing...shopping..banking...mail or business to take care of.

When you open an IM...before you type a message..look to see if the person is accepting them. That is what the available is for.

I think another thing you might want to add to your

etiquette page regarding im's is that there is also

a way to block your name whenever you want so

that people cannot see your name on their buddy list.

You simply go to my AOL, click on buddy list, then

click on privacy preferences, then click on block

all AOL members and instant messager users. Then

click on save at the bottom.These changes

will stay that way until you change

them again. Even if you shut off your computer they

will stay that way until you change them again.