Internet etiquette is something everyone should know but often seem to
ignore. In Virtual Realities (VR) poor etiquette is rampant. There are times
when things are appropriate and other times when they are not. Here are
some do's and don'ts that will make your experience and how others
perceive you online more enjoyable. This list is not intended to make you
feel good about yourself but rather to open your eyes to some behaviors
either you or others you know may be imposing on others, whether
intentional or not. In other words, I am not coddling you so you read this at
your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.
1. LOL does not make it better. If you say something cruel adding a LOL or
hahaha at the end does not make it a joke or funny. It is still cruel and you
will be shunned the more you do it.
2. Sending a friend request before even talking to someone at all is rude. It
is like walking up to them in the street and copping a feel without even
asking them their name. Very inappropriate. Take a few moments and say
hello, introduce yourself, find out if you even have anything in common and
then politely ask if you can add them. The amount of 'friends' on your list
does not make you a more desirable person to friend. Who you are and
how you behave does. Having a huge friends list just shows you will friend
anyone and that is not always attractive to the right people, if you know
what I mean.
3. Help new members whenever possible. You were new once too and
some users joining a virtual reality may have never been on one before.
Every day new people are experiencing the internet for the first time so be
kind, offer assistance and you may find you make many new friends.
4. Use the knowledge base and/or frequently asked questions (faq) before
bombarding others with questions. Taking a moment to research what you
need to know will be far easier and less straining on others and yourself.
Most programs even have a tutorial when you first log in. Don't ignore it, use
it. That is what it is there for. Please do not use the excuse that you don't
want to read all that information since typing the questions and reading the
answers takes far more time and energy for you and the person you are
questioning. That does not mean don't ask questions, it just means you
should do a little research first and if your question is not answered then
request assistance.
5. Use correct spelling as much as possible. Not everyone speaks your
language natively and often when in virtual realities you are dealing with
users from all over the world. To use a translator is only as good as the text
they are trying to translate. If you are spelling incorrectly on purpose just to
be lazy you are eliminating all those potential friends simply because they
could not communicate with you.
6. Do not assume everyone is from your country and can speak your
language. If someone is struggling with speaking your language try asking
them what country they are from and if it would be easier to use a
translator. You may just gain a good friend by such a kind offer.
7. Do not presume everyone shares the same opinion of your chosen virtual
reality. If you do not like a VR don't go on it and insult the users on there by
telling them how much you hate it. If you don't like it just don't go there at
all. Consider how you would feel if they came to your favored virtual reality
and said the same thing to you about it.
8. See someone online and want to invite them to visit you wherever you
are? Send them a private message or whisper (on worlds that have these
options) before you send the invite. They may be busy or afk (away from
keyboard) or even have no clue who you are so sending them an invite then
complaining later that they ignored you is really on you, not them. Send
them a message or go to where they are and ask them if they would like to
come by.
9. If they do come when you send your invite, talk to them. Standing/sitting
there without saying a word is not only rude but gives the impression you
are doing something you should not be doing. There are known programs
in some VR's (Virtual Realities) that allow theft of the products in the
environments that the user is in and if you are inviting people then not
communicating with them you will be suspected of using such a program on
their avatar products. You will only get a bad name and potentially get
enough complaints to get yourself banned. If you are going to invite
someone to chat, chat.
10. Do not be offended if an invitation is denied when you invite someone
over. Just like you, they may have people they are visiting or other things
they just may be doing that they cannot get away from at the moment. This
is not a clear indication that they never want to speak to you (unless that is
the case and then they should have put you on their blocked list) but rather
that they are busy. Message them and see if they would be interested at a
later date instead.
11. Role play can be a lot of fun but not everyone wants to participate. Do
not assume you can carry over your role play no matter where you are as
often you will confuse other users or worse, potentially insult them.
12. On the other hand, if you go to a role play area and have no clue how or
what they are doing, it is best to ask someone in private and find out more
about it before you enter the area. Some areas will specifically state that
they are a role play area and if you are not willing to participate it is best to
not go. If you find yourself there by accident and notice they are speaking
as if they are acting a role out, politely excuse yourself and leave.
13. Don't insult a users outfit choice. Everyone has their own taste and
assuming yours is the only taste that people should have makes you an arse.
Just because you don't like what they are wearing does not mean others
don't like it as well. Keep in mind, they may be not too keen on your outfit
either and I am pretty sure you would not like being told you look like an
idiot.
© 2011 Wyllo Rogers
Co-Founder/Co-Creator of http://www.nuveraonline.com
All rights reserved. No copies may be made of this article, in whole or in
part, without express written permission by the author. For permission
contact Wyllo Rogers via email: [email protected]