Julie Latham Digital Citizenship: An Informational Guide

General Information Before using a computer for home use or school use, a student needs some general information about Netiquette Copyright and Fair Use Plagiarism Safety on the Web Safety on the Computer

Netiquette According to All computer users must use netiquette. Netiquette is described as the social code of the internet. This term is a combination of the words network and etiquette. A list of netiquette rules follows.

1. Spell check and proofread messages Spell check and proofread the document for errors. A grammatical or spelling error reduces the credibility of your document. This document might be the only correspondence with someone; make your document impressive since it is a reflection of you.

2. Do not use all capital letters While using all capital letters gets attention, you should follow the normal rules of capitalization. Using all capital letters suggests that you do not know standard rules or that you are not willing to use them.

3. Be truthful Anytime you are online, be truthful. You might have to fill out a profile, an application or join a group for a class project. Presenting truthful information about yourself defines who you are. Keep some information private if you so choose.

4. Shop secure websites Secure websites will protect your personal and financial information. Shopping websites that are not secure will expose your personal information to potential scam artists and your computer to potential viruses.

5. Use discretion When joining social networks, remember that all information on the internet is public. ANYONE can find out about you and about where you live if you give those specifics when filling out profiles. This information becomes mobile when someone accesses your information on his or her mobile phone.

6. Acknowledge messages promptly Just as you would want a prompt reply, respond to others’ s in a timely fashion. Someone else’s action might be dependent upon your reply.

Copyrights and Fair Use According to the University of New Hampshire School of Law, the word copyright means the right to exclude. The concept of fair use is a limit to a copyright.

Copyrights and Fair Use Copyrights are subject to some limits. Since fair use puts some limits on copyrights, fair use permits people to use some of the work of others without their approval.

Fair use permits: Information that advances public interests such as criticism, education, and scholarship Crediting original artists or authors when their information is used Links to other information on the internet in personal s or on web pages

Plagiarism Plagiarism is defined as taking the writings or literary ideas of another and selling and/or publishing them as one’s own writing. This definition comes from

Ways to avoid plagiarism Cite resources Common knowledge does not have to be cited. Double check your work to make sure you used your own thoughts. Use a word processing tool to help detect plagiarism.

Safety on the web Online safety tips from Install online security software Be wary of unfamiliar s Use secure shopping sites Protect your online identification Use strong online passwords Secure your wireless network

Safety on your computer About.com suggests taking these precautions with your computer: Use antivirus software Use a firewall Secure your browser Beware of instant messaging Beware of internet scams

Safety tips for using a public computer Do not save your log in information Do not leave the computer unattended Watch for others looking over your shoulder Do not enter sensitive information on a public computer

Remember… Using all of these helpful tips will help you to become a safe and considerate user of the internet. It is important to protect your personal information and respect the privacy of others. Be mindful that others can take advantage of you. Protect yourself and your computer.