Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Haters, Trolls, Bullies and Other Jerks

Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Haters, Trolls, Bullies and Other Jerks

Released February 2013
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: 9780133134995

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Book description

Re-civilize Life Online!

PROVEN Conflict Management and Prevention for Social Media and the Web

Ever seem like the Web is just one big screaming match? Ever feel like you’re refereeing a worldwide tantrum on YOUR social media sites, blogs, and online forums? That’s not good for your goals—or your sanity. Stop. Now. Step back. Take a breath. And solve the problem. Thought you couldn’t? You can: there are proven best practices for getting people to be civil online. Even when they disagree. Even if they’re complaining. You can avoid misunderstandings that lead to flame wars, and promote constructive conversation amongst those with strongly held views. And, finally, you can handle the people that just can’t be civilized. Today, these skills are flat-out imperative. Everyone who leads, curates, manages, or participates in online communities needs them. Andrea Weckerle hasn’t just compiled them: she’s created a 30-Day Action Plan for restoring civility to your corner of the digital world. This plan works—and not one moment too soon.

  • Master the foundational skills you need to resolve and prevent conflict online

  • Understand the dynamics of each online conflict, from procedural disputes to online lynch mobs

  • Stay cool and effectively manage conflict in even the highest-pressure online environments

  • Differentiate between what people say and what they really want

  • Create a positive online footprint—or start cleaning up a negative image

  • Recognize online troublemakers and strategize ways to handle them

  • Manage your own anger—and, when necessary, express it online safely and productively

  • Strategically manage others’ online hostility and frustration

  • Limit risks to your organization’s online reputation due to actions it can’t control

  • Draft and implement corporate social media policies that actually work

    • Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright Page
    3. Contents at a Glance
    4. Table of Contents
    5. Foreword
    6. About the Author
    7. Dedication
    8. Acknowledgments
    9. We Want to Hear from You!
    10. Reader Services
    11. 1. Who Gives a Darn About Conflict?
      1. If It Happened to Them, It Can Happen to You
      2. How This Book Will Help You
      3. It All Began on August 6, 1991
      4. Every Single Day People and Businesses Take a Hit on the Internet
      5. Three Scenarios Revisited
      6. What Is Conflict and How Can Conflict Management and Resolution Help?
      7. Different Types of Conflict Management and Resolution
      8. Three Foundational Skills Necessary in Conflict Management and Resolution
      9. What This Book Covers
      10. Endnotes
    12. 2. Why Your Online Reputation and Privacy Matter
      1. More and More, Everything You Do Is Public and Subject to Public Scrutiny
      2. Sharing and Oversharing
      3. Your Digital Footprint Matters, Whether You Want It to or Not
      4. Measuring Your Existing Digital Footprint
      5. Creating a Strong Online Reputation
      6. Monitoring Your Online Reputation
      7. Endnotes
    13. 3. The Different Types of Conflicts You’ll Encounter Online
      1. Whether You’re a Global Giant or a Private Individual, You Can’t Escape Online Conflict
      2. How Many Different Types of Online Conflicts Are There?
      3. Online Lynch Mobs
      4. Conflict Issue Categories
      5. Why These Online Conflicts Matter
      6. Endnotes
    14. 4. Who Are the Troublemakers?
      1. A Pathetic Loser and Coward
      2. Endnotes
    15. 5. What’s Your Conflict Style?
      1. It’s Other People Who Are Making Me Crazy, So Why Are We Talking About Me?
      2. Endnotes
    16. 6. The 101 of Anger Management
      1. Anger Is a Primal Emotion
      2. An Important Note About This Chapter
      3. What Happens to You When You Become Angry?
      4. Are There Differences in Who Becomes Angry and How They Express It?
      5. Why People Become Angry
      6. Don’t Confuse Anger with Other, Similar Emotions
      7. Negative Anger Affects People at Work and at Home
      8. The Downside of Expressing Anger Online
      9. Venting and Self-Control
      10. Anger Management Techniques
      11. Endnotes
    17. 7. Digital Literacy in a Hyperconnected World
      1. Brett Cohen the Celebrity
      2. The News Media Takes Accuracy Seriously...And Still Sometimes Gets It Wrong
      3. Digital Literacy and Why It’s Important
      4. Truthiness Is the Word
      5. Critical Thinking Is a Core Component of Digital Literacy
      6. Check Your Biases and Beliefs
      7. Examining Credibility and Quality
      8. Don’t be Seduced By Gossip and Rumors
      9. Accuracy and Verifiability of Information
      10. Is a Desire for the Truth Strong Enough to Overcome Bias and Faulty Thinking?
      11. Endnotes
    18. 8. Into the Trenches: Conflict Resolution Skills and Strategies
      1. Could This Dispute Have Been Managed Better and Possibly Even Avoided?
      2. Your Conflict Goals and Corresponding Approaches
      3. Your Organization’s Culture and Conflict Practices
      4. Determining If, When, and How to Respond
      5. A Word About the Role of Compassion
      6. Dispute Management Process
      7. Interpersonal Skills for Successful Dispute Management
      8. Responses When Someone Bashes You Online
      9. Examples of Effective Online Problem Solving
      10. Single Versus Repeat Occurrence Disputes
      11. Can You Manage the Dispute on Your Own or Do You Need Outside Help?
      12. Crisis Management Approach
      13. Endnotes
    19. 9. Legal Aspects of Online Disputes and Conflicts
      1. Is Questionable Behavior Illegal? It Depends on the Facts and Circumstances
      2. The Imperfect Nature of Legal Rights and Responsibilities Online
      3. Drafting Robust and Legal Social Media Policies
      4. Endnotes
    20. 10. 30-Day Plan for Better Conflict Management Online
      1. Putting Knowledge into Action
      2. Day 1: Start Your Conflict Inventory and Assessment
      3. Day 2: Identify Your Greatest Online Conflict Concerns
      4. Day 3: Measure Your Existing Digital Footprint
      5. Day 4: Start Identifying Your Online Conflict Management Goals
      6. Day 5: Identify Your Internal Champions
      7. Day 6: Get Buy-in from Leadership
      8. Day 7: Get Human Resources’s Buy-In
      9. Day 8: Identify the Stakeholders and Key Personnel You’ll Need
      10. Day 9: Identify the Financial Resources You Need
      11. Day 10: Claim Your Online Identity
      12. Day 11: Choose an Online Monitoring Tool
      13. Day 12: Set Up an Online Conflict Tracking System
      14. Day 13: Set Up Your Social Media Sites
      15. Day 14: Create Your Company’s Social Media Policy or Review Your Existing One
      16. Day 15: Hire Someone to Manage Your Social Media Properties
      17. Day 16: Hire an Attorney
      18. Day 17: Determine Whether You Need to Bury or Remove Negative Information
      19. Day 18: Start Developing Your Company’s Online Conflict Management Training
      20. Day 19: Establish Criteria for Measuring Success of Conflict Management Training Program
      21. Day 20: Create a Social Media Conflict Response Flow Chart
      22. Day 21: Start Offering In-Depth Conflict Management Training to Your Social Media Professionals, Public Relations Professionals, and Online Community Managers
      23. Day 22: Start Drafting Your Crisis Management Plan
      24. Day 23: Identify Your Online Crisis Management Team
      25. Day 24: Decide Who Your Public Face Will Be in an Online Crisis
      26. Day 25: Train Your Public Relations Team and Social Media Team in Crisis Management Skills
      27. Day 26: Develop Your Company Website’s “Dark Site”
      28. Day 27: Start Developing Your Anger Management Training Course
      29. Day 28: Start Developing Your Digital Literacy Training Course
      30. Day 29: Simulate an Online Conflict Crisis
      31. Day 30: Conduct the Online Crisis Simulation’s Post Mortem
      32. Endnotes
    21. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Haters, Trolls, Bullies and Other Jerks
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: February 2013
    • Publisher(s): Que
    • ISBN: 9780133134995