A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO USENET

One should be meticulously courteous at all times, in particular when
expressing any point of view which might prove contentious, or when
disagreeing with fellow posters. Particular care should be taken to avoid
seeming to patronise or belittle those who may appear to be at a lower
intellectual and/or educational level than oneself. Asperity may
occasionally be permissible when directed towards those whom one believes to
be in possession of considerable faculties, and to be abusing them; but
since this belief may be unjustified, as a rule courtesy is better.

Mistakes in spelling and/or grammar should be silently passed over, although
spelling errors may be unobtrusively corrected in quoted text where this is
practical.

One should avoid presenting personal opinion as hard fact. It is preferable
to write "It seems to me that..." rather than "It is obvious that..."; not
only does it offer less potential for offence to be taken, but it allows for
a graceful retreat in the not infrequent case where one later proves to be
wrong or ill-informed.

One should apologise when the situation calls for it, whether or not one
perceives oneself to be in the wrong. A graceful apology can defuse a
fraught situation almost before it begins, and leave the magnanimous party
with a pleasing sense of virtue. If one should inadvertently give offence by
misplaced levity or implied insult, however far-fetched, then an immediate
apology is mandatory.

Humour is probably best avoided, since if it is possible for a joke to be
misinterpreted then someone will probably do so. Sarcasm should likewise be
eschewed at all costs.

One should under no circumstances become involved in a flame-war. Isolated
postings to a contentious thread may be made in a tone of mild reason, but
one should be doubly on guard at such times against potential misinter-
pretation by either side. It should be remembered that most flame-wars
reflect poorly on the reputation of all participants, and also upon the
cherished views they espouse therein.

If flamed oneself, one should seriously consider whether or not to respond.
Dignified silence or an apology for the perceived offence may well be a more
appropriate move. Never be afraid to let one's opponent have the last word
in order to placate his pride. If tempted to return insult for insult,
remember that the flamer is likely to be far more adept at this form of
attack and that humiliation is a distinct possibility. Any response to a
flame should be directed toward the task of turning the subject from the
personal to the abstract so that it may be discussed in a calm and rational
manner. On no account should one lose one's temper in public; this is both
unseemly and ill-advisable.

If one can find nothing civil to say, then one should say nothing at all.

Religious views and matters of conscience should neither be aired nor
debated in public. Many persons hold deep-rooted and illogical convictions,
but questioning these may well result in discovering oneself also to be
among that number.

If the answer to a question appears obvious, it may be better to consider
delaying one's own response until the following day. Many others will
doubtless have rushed in to provide the same information in the interim; and
not only may the embarrassment of duplicating what has already been said thus
be avoided, but in addition there will be the opportunity to clarify or
embellish upon earlier answers if such should seem desirable.

One should abide by the customary usage of Usenet with respect to snippage
and quoting, but should consider well before venturing to criticise others
for failing to do so. Comments, if offered, should be constructive and
polite in tone. It is better to demonstrate by example than to preach, and
no doubt there will be others only too eager to upbraid the culprit.

Over-indulgence in the temptation to illustrate discussions with anecdote
and reference to one's own life should on the whole be resisted, since one
may in this manner appear somewhat self-obsessed. The subject should be kept
on-topic and relevant to the newsgroup where appropriate.

Above all, one should endeavour to behave in all things like a gentleman,
and to gain the respect of one's peers. One may thus hope to gain their
tolerance for the occasional, inevitable, blunder.