What are the Rules?
Netiquette rules vary from tool to tool (e-mails, mailing lists, micro blogs, blogs, forums, social networks etc.), and each community usually has its own set of conventions. So to avoid receiving RTFM messages, first read the FAQs (Frequently Asked Question lists) and orientation of the communities you are engaged in.
Writing
DO NOT USE UPPER CASE - IT MAKES IT FEEL YOU ARE SHOUTING :-O, AND IT'S LONGER AND MORE DIFFICULT TO READ.
messages all in lowercase are also difficult to read.
Respect your reader. Use mixed case.
Also avoid using multiple !!!!!! or ?????? - they might even get blocked by anti-spam filters.
And, of course, check spelling and grammar before sending or posting your messages.
Unsolicited Messages
Unless you are sure your reader wants to receive unsolicited emails, never forward: spams, funny stories, offensive or racially insensitive jokes or comments, virus warnings, chain letters, electronic hoaxes, rumors, etc.
BCC
Abuse the 3 options you have for sending emails: TO, CC (Carbon Copy) & BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).
Using BCC when you send an email to a group of people respects 2 different Netiquette conventions:
(1) you do not expose email addresses to strangers using TO or CC (privacy issue), and
(2) you avoid that your friends receive answers they would not like to receive (information overload issue).
BCC is always a nice option for sending emails to a group of people, unless you want all of them to know each others and interact (and you believe they also want that).
Repplies
When replying to a message in a discussion list, pay close attention if you want to answer to the entire list or only to the single person who wrote the message. Simply clicking Reply will probably send your response to the whole list, so don't forget to replace the list address by the individual's e-mail address you want to answer to.
As said, each tool might have its own Netiquette rules. BTW, when you retweet someone's message on Twitter, RT at the beginning of the tweet is a convention.
Quoting
When quoting someone else's message, select only the passages relevant to your response, so people do not have to read the whole message again.
Flaming
Avoid by any means flaming. If you are mad with someone, write your email but do not send it - let it rest, and re-read it when you have calmed down.
Private Messages
Do not forward emails you have received or messages posted on discussion lists to others, nor turn them public, without the author's permission. Lists are closed discussions and emails are private conversations, and respecting that is a core Netiquette convention.
Copyright
Copyright is somehow above Netiquette, because it deals with law, not simply conventions. Read, study, read, study, read, study... about Copyright on the Internet, because this is a fluid topic, changing frequently. Be sure you understand core concepts like: copyright, fair use, Creative Commons, trade & registered marks etc. If you use the Internet frequently, mainly for business and/or education, you must understand at least basics of this complex subject.
Questions
Don't ask silly questions, like what is the meaning of RTFM, BTW etc. (search Acronym Finder), questions that are answered on FAQs; etc.
