web writing 2.0
“Is it true that there are actual rules regarding written content creation on the web?”
I recently read an article at albion.com about Internet etiquette, aka ‘netiquette’, and what writers and content contributors should keep in mind when writing on the web. While most parts of this article seemed rather straight forward, there were two concepts in particular which, although obvious, should be carefully considered when writing for the web.
Respect Other People’s Time And Bandwidth
If you take your blog seriously or you are looking to build up your level of ‘street cred’ on someone else’s blog or website, it is always important to consider that there will be an audience reading what you write. Most online readers scan the articles and written comments they find. If your intent is to build a loyal following of subscribers and readers, it’s important to remember that if you waste people’s time with useless or unreliable content, you are likely to never get their time again. Make sure that the comments you leave and the articles you write are topical, accurate, and succinct. It’s probably also a good idea to keep the following concepts in mind:
- You are not the center of Cyberspace; so don’t expect instant feedback and responses to your comments and questions.
- Rules for discussion groups: don’t write a novel in these sections. Some people’s computers are slower than yours!
- To whom should the message be directed? Don’t CC, carbon copy, people to email messages that don’t apply to them. It’s rude.
Share Expert Knowledge
I found this particular section of the article interesting for one simple reason; people like to keep important knowledge secret. The article doesn’t suggest that sharing your knowledge equates to giving away all your trade secrets, but rather that when you see that someone has asked a question that you can answer, you should do it. According to the article’s author, “don’t be afraid to share what you know”.
If you have posted something on your blog and you’ve received lots of questions, take the time to write up a summary of all their questions and post it. Remember, you must consider these people to be your clients, not just your readers. The web is all about networking, and by keeping your readers happy, you will ultimately achieve your goals.
That’s all for now.
Perfect!