How to Be a Good Digital Citizen

By: Brenna Langham

Netiquette: Some Basic RulesBe careful of the words

chosen when writing a statement for others to read!The other person

might misinterpret what you’re truly trying to say because of the lack of tone, facial expressions, and tone of voice that words alone cannot provide

If it is unlawful in the real world, it is more than likely something that doesn’t need to be done in cyberspace!Your standard of

behavior should not be lower than it is in real life!

Remember your morals and ethics!(Shea)

Netiquette:More Rules to Follow

Be respectful to the area of the internet that you are in. Some statements are

acceptable in some domains but not in others.

Do not expect instant responses from others.

Use proper spelling and grammar.

Do not waste the time of others. Do not post the same

thing over and over to a discussion group.

Do not carbon copy or forward a message unless it is completely useful to the other person.(Shea)

The Netiquette Rules Continue…Be polite.Do not use offensive

language.Do not provide bad

(untrue) information.DO NOT SWEAR!Respect the privacy

of other people.

Have good manners!If you have to point

out a mistake made by others, do so with dignity. Sometimes though it is worth just letting go. (Shea)

(Shea)

What is the meaning of copyright?“Copyright is a legal device that provides the creator of a work of art or literature, or a work that conveys information or ideas, the right to control how the work is used"

(Copyright and Fair Use in the UMUC Online or Face-to-Face Classroom, 2011)

What Copyright Protects…The right to do the

following things:Make copies of a

work that has been copyrighted.

Sell copies of a copyrighted item

Distribute copies of a work that’s been copyrighted.

Form new work that is based on the copyrighted work.

Perform the copyrighted work Examples:

Play Painting

(Copyright and Fair Use in the UMUC Online or Face-to-Face Classroom, 2011)

Before using copyrighted work, be sure to understand the fair use principle.This enables the public to use piece, or

portion, of a copyrighted work when being used in commentary or criticism. (Fair Use)

HOWEVER, the person who copyrighted the work can disagree with the fair use interpretation that the person using the work may have. Then, disputes have to be settled in court. (Fair Use)

If disputes are settled in court, the judge takes four factors into consideration.Factor One:

The purpose and character of the use of the work

Factor Two:“Nature of the

copyrighted work”

Factor Three:“The amount and

substantiality of the portion taken”

Factor Four:“The effect of the

use upon the potential market.”

(Fair Use)

Plagiarism: What is it?FraudUsing another

person’s ideas or words and claiming them as your own

Using another person’s work and not providing credit where it is due

Do you really want to be labeled as a thief and a liar?

(What is Plagiarism?)

How to Prevent Plagiarism…GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!

Paraphrase, but still give credit to the source.

If you’re not sure whether to credit a source, more than likely you need to, so go ahead and do it.

Use correct citations and provide a list of references.

Tips to Be Safe on the WebUse safeguard programs

These filter and monitor computer usage

Read privacy policy’s before providing personal information on websites

Do not respond to offensive or dangerous emails. Contact law enforcement

if serious.

Use non-descript screennames

Make sure websites use a secure connection if personal information is being provided

(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)

How to Keep Your Computer SafeUse anti-virus

softwareKeep your computer

updated on a regular basis

On a routine basis, scan your system and all of the devices that are connected to it

Change passwords regularly

Make sure passwords use a combination of upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers

Do not give your password to anyone!

(Five tips for safe computer use, 2010)

ReferencesCopyright and Fair Use in the UMUC Online or Face-to-Face Classroom. (2011, January 28). Retrieved July

5, 2011, from University of Maryland University College: http://www.umuc.edu/library/copy.shtml

Fair Use. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2011, from Stanford University Libraries:

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/index.html

Five tips for safe computer use. (2010, October 22). Retrieved July 5, 2011, from Help Net Security:

http://net-security.org/secworld.php?id=10036

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (n.d.). Safety Tips. Retrieved 5 July, 2011, from

NetSmartz: http://www.netsmartz.org/Safety/SafetyTips

Shea, V. (n.d.). The Core Rules of Netiquette. Retrieved July 5, 2011, from

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

What is Plagiarism? (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2011, from http://

plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html