Office of Information Technology

Netiquette Rules & Regulations

The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

The University of Tennessee strictly enforces the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). If you use UT’s Information Technology resources, it is expected that you abide by the AUP. If you would like to read about the policy, you can find it in its entirety at http://oit.utk.edu/aup. As you begin using e-mail with your UNIX account, you should be aware that spamming and chain letters are absolutely not tolerated (http://oit.utk.edu/faq/spam.html).

Reporting Security Incidents & AUP Infractions

If you are the unwilling recipient of e-mail abuse or harassment, you can report your suspicions to the following e-mail addresses (abuse@utk.edu).

For customer relations regarding inappropriate public behavior (e.g., harassment, spam, chain letters) by members of the UT community, and for problems of a more sensitive nature (e.g., hacking, port scanning, suspected illegal activity) use the following: security@utk.edu.

E-mail is NOT a Secure Document

When sent, e-mail can easily be printed and/or forwarded. Any time you send or receive an e-mail message, remember that a record of it remains on the system. Some courts admit e-mail as evidence in a lawsuit. Something to think about!

Don’t Be a Bandwidth Hog!

Downloading multiple MP3 files, streaming video, and picture files in large quantities significantly slows down Internet performance at UT and ultimately hurts everyone. Use these resources carefully so the Internet can remain relatively unregulated for UT students to use.

Flame Mail

Flame mail is a message expressing strong criticism, emotion, or opinion. Do not send something in an e-mail that you would not say directly to the person or persons involved. Do not use inappropriate language. If you receive e-mail that angers you, wait until you cool off to reply. Sending flame mail is easy to do; however, there are often ramifications.

Subject—Give a Clue

It is very helpful for the person receiving e-mail to know a little about the message. They will probably prioritize the opening of e-mail based on the subject. Always include a subject, a few short descriptive words to indicate the content of the e-mail.

Replying to E-mail

When replying to an e-mail message, it is helpful to include the original message along with your response. This will remind the originator of the e-mail what was covered in the previous e-mail.

Emoticons

It is difficult to tell from written words if a person is kidding or what a person’s emotional state was when they wrote the message. For that reason, emoticons (Emotions + Icons) are often used. Some of the most common ones you will see are

;) = winking and smiling	:) = smiling
80 = surprised	:D = laughing
:( = frowning	:< = really upset

(Tip your head to the left to see them!)

AFUP—Abbreviating Frequently Used Phrases

There are certain phrases that are used frequently in e-mail. Abbreviations are often used in place of the phrase. Some of the most common phrases are
      IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
      BTW = By The Way
      FWIW = For What It’s Worth
      RTM = Read The Manual
      LOL = Laughing Out Loud
      FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
      RFC = Request for Comment

The Number One New User Mistake

NEW USERS OFTEN TYPE IN CAPITAL LETTERS. THIS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING.

Using BCC (blind carbon copy)

Respect other’s privacy if sending e-mail to multiple people. By using BCC, recipients addresses are not visible to each other.