Another reason not to be offensive online
When you communicate through cyberspace -- via email or on discussion groups -- your words are written. And chances are they're stored somewhere where you have no control over them. In other words, there's a good chance they can come back to haunt you.
Never forget the story of famous email user
Oliver North. Ollie, you'll
remember, was a great devotee of the White House email system,
PROFS. He diligently deleted all incriminating notes he sent or
received. What he didn't realize was that, somewhere else in the White
House, computer room staff were equally diligently backing up the
mainframe where his messages were stored. When he went on trial, all
those handy
backup tapes were readily available as evidence against
him.
You don't have to be engaged in criminal activity to want to be careful.
Any message you send could be saved or forwarded by its recipient.
You have no control over where it goes.
In real life, most people are fairly law-abiding, either by disposition or
because we're afraid of getting caught. In cyberspace, the chances of
getting caught sometimes seem slim. And, perhaps because people
sometimes forget that there's a human being on the other side of the
computer, some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal
behavior is acceptable in cyberspace.
The confusion may be understandable, but these people are mistaken.
Standards of behavior may be
different in some areas of cyberspace, but
they are not
lower than in real life.
Don't believe anyone who says, "The only
ethics out there are what you
can get away with." This is a book about manners, not about ethics. But
if you encounter an ethical dilemma in cyberspace, consult the code
you follow in real life. Chances are good you'll find the answer.
Rule 2: Adhere to the same
standards of behavior online
that you follow in real life
Be ethical
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