Guy Kawasaki tells a story about getting email from some fellow he's never met. Online, this fellow tells
Guy that he's a bad writer with nothing interesting to say.
Unbelievably rude? Yes, but unfortunately, it happens all the time in
cyberspace.
Maybe it's the awesome power of being able to send mail directly to a
well-known writer like Guy. Maybe it's the fact that you can't see his
face crumple in misery as he reads your cruel words. Whatever the reason, it's incredibly common.
Guy proposes a useful test for anything you're about to post or mail:
Ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person's face?" If the answer is
no, rewrite and reread. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you'd
feel as comfortable saying these words to the live person as you do
sending them through cyberspace.
Of course, it's possible that you'd feel great about saying something
extremely rude to the person's face. In that case, Netiquette can't help
you. Go get a copy of
Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior.
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