Friends with Benefits

Etiquette Cheat Sheet

Be respectful. Be honest. Don't lie. Send good content. This advice seems like common sense (or even common courtesy!), but we've seen so many examples of duplicitous marketing on the Web that we feel we have to say it again. One of the oldest and most reliable pieces of advice for online conduct is this: Treat the people you're talking to as though they're in the room with you. At a cocktail party, you probably wouldn't wield a megaphone to broadcast your commercial message, constantly interrupt conversations with a product plug, or tell stories that simply aren't true. And surely you've watched enough sitcoms or read enough Shakespeare to recognize how foolhardy it is to pretend to be someone you're not. Be authentic, and ...