Society and communication

Talking online has special features. A message can be recorded and kept, it can reach many people at once, it can sometimes be sent without showing a name, and it is hard to take back once sent. That is why manners matter. Tone is lost in text: a joke that sounds friendly in your voice can sound rude on a screen, so read before you send and add a clear word or sign if you are joking. Flaming, writing angry public attacks, hurts real people; being anonymous is no excuse for cruelty. Use clear subjects, short messages and polite words, and stop to think before replying in anger. In e-mail there are three address fields. To is for the people the message is for. Cc sends a copy to people who should know; everyone sees these addresses. BCC sends a copy while hiding that receiver from the others, which protects addresses in a big group mail. Do not use BCC to hide something from someone who should know. Finally, be careful with risks: strangers can pretend, personal details should not be shared, and any message that makes you uneasy should be shown to a trusted adult.