Remember the general guidelines for Internet-based communications, including the following:
- As stated above, be sure to identify yourself and the course you are referencing in all email communications with an instructor.
- Be sure to change the subject line in an email when introducing a new topic.
- Do not type in all upper-case letters (using all upper-case letters is the equivalent of shouting in text-based online discussions).
- Use the spell check function prior to sending/submitting all course-related communications.
- If course deliverables include essay or short answer postings on group discussion boards, be sure to use the copy and paste command when possible (instead of attaching a document -- so the instructor and classmates can find the work with one click instead of two or more clicks).
- If course deliverables include essay or short answer postings on group discussion boards, be sure to copy and paste the question/topic that is being addressed at the start of your reply.
- When in doubt (about whether a discussion comment may be too controversial or cause a “flame argument”), please consider that it is always better to discuss course material in a dispassionate and collegial manner.
More common-sense netiquette guidelines can be found in The Core Rules of Netiquette by Virginia Shea.