Netiquette 2.0

While networking is essential to the success of most blogs, many authors do themselves more harm than good by forgetting some basic manners.

By remembering a few simple rules we will make good connections and benefit in the long run.


1. When entering a social network such as MySpace, BlogCatalog, SpicyPages or MyBlogLog, imagine entering a business party. We may know a few people and recognize several more but, for the most part, everyone is a stranger.

2. Keep in mind that it is a ‘networking’ party not a hook-up party. People come here to make a few friends and expand their network, not to get picked up.

3. Posting a comment on someone else’s blog with a link to your blog along with a description of the contest you are running complete with rules and prizes is the equivalent of interrupting a group of strangers at a party to hand out business cards and invite them to, “leave this lame party and come over to my place.”

4. No one would think it OK to go to a party and sneak around putting stickers on the backs of people you never met identifying them as your friend. Why then do so many folks feel it’s perfectly all right to label people as friends when the sum total of their familiarity is a glimpse of a 120 pixel square image of their homepage? We should take the time to actually make contact with someone before claiming them as a contact.

5. Along the same line as number four, we should take the time to actually visit a blog before we join its community. Being a member of a social networking site is not a game where we see who can collect the most contacts and join the most communities.


If we remember to apply the same rules of etiquette in the virtual world that we know to use in the real world we will achieve greater success and acceptance in both.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another post I love. It's true, a lot of people need to be reminded of this. As they say, common sense is the most uncommon haha. Nicely written :)

Ad Tracker said...

Brown Baron - Thank you very much. Tat means alot to me coming from some one who runs such a well written blog.

Funny thing is, the people who need to read #3&4 won't ever see it. HAHAHA!! Jokes on me! :-)

Anonymous said...

This is really great advice. You spelled it out perfectly.

I've met a lot of really nice and polite people via social networking but there are always the few that screw it up. Hope they read this!

Becky C. said...

Thank you sooooo much for this post. It is so counter-proudictive, at least with me, that anyone suggests exchanging links, or tries to entice me to come to their blog.

If they just stop by, 9 out of 10 times I will stop by and if it is a blog I like I will join their community. If it is a blog or someone I really like, and plan on visiting on a daily basis, I will add them to by blogroll.

~Becky

Ad Tracker said...

@ Gerri - It's the few that always make life difficult on the many.

Thanks for stopping in! :-)

@ Becky - I think the people we are talking about are in it for the quick fix not the long term experience. I think most of them probably burn out and leave.

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness for folks who make the internet better. Love the post.

That said, I'm risking breaking one of the rules here, so begging your pardon in advance, but I found your page while doing some online research last night and ended up writing about the experience. Drop me a line if you'd like to read it.

Cheers!

Ad Tracker said...

Nick - Of course I'd like to read it!

Post a link here if you'd like.

Thank you :-)

Anonymous said...

Much obliged. For anyone interested in my brief foray into the world of blogging-fer-cash:

Permalink

Ad Tracker said...

Thanks Nick - I think I left a comment on your site about an hour ago. Syncronicity!

Crimzen Creative said...

Great post - I think a lot of bloggers forget that it's not only about making connections, but rather finding virtual friends and sites you relate to. I never join a community before reading the posts and getting a feel for things. I hope other bloggers treat me with the same respect!

Ad Tracker said...

Lady Language - Thanks, I agree completely. Unfortunately, everyone doesn't seem to agree ;)

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