LINGUIST List 5.257

Sun 06 Mar 1994

Qs: Survey: Politeness on the Net

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. Susan Herring, Politeness on the net

The following survey is part of a project I am conducting on politeness
on the net. I'd appreciate it if everyone who reads this message could
take a few minutes to answer and return the survey. All responses will
remain strictly confidential. A summary of the results will be made
available to respondents upon request.

 ========================================================================
 NETIQUETTE SURVEY

The following questions concern behavior on electronic discussion lists
and/or newsgroups. Answer on the basis of your personal experience and
reactions. Needless to say, there are no correct or incorrect answers.

1. What behaviors bother you most on the net?

2. What net behaviors do you most appreciate when you encounter them?

3. In an ideal world, what one change would you most like to see in
the way people participate on the net?

SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS
For each behavior listed below, place an X under the number that indicates
how common the behavior is in your experience on the net, and your typical
reaction when you encounter it. (If the behavior reminds you of a particular
list or group, feel free to mention the group or otherwise comment.)

 rare common like dislike
1. Participants post very 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 long messages

2. Participants post short 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 messages

3. The same participant(s) 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 post frequently

4. Requests are posted for 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 obvious or easily-
 obtained information

5. Requests are posted on 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 FAQs or topic previously
 discussed
 rare common like dislike
6. Messages don't contain 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 explicit subject headers

7. Messages contain typos 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 or spelling errors

8. Messages are unclearly 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 worded or otherwise obscure

9. Messages posted on topics 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 not directly related to
 focus of list/newsgroup

10. Same msg. posted more than 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 once to same list/newsgroup
 rare common like dislike
11. Message cross-posted to 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 multiple lists/newsgroups

12. Messages sent publicly 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 instead of to listserv or
 to a private individual

13. Messages quote all of 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 message being responded to

14. Elaborate signature files 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

15. Messages contain personal 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 or intimate information
 about sender
 rare common like dislike
16. Messages compliment or 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 thank others for their
 messages

17. Messages agree with the 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 content of previous msgs.

18. Messages challenge the 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 content of previous msgs.

19. Messages have humorous 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 content

20. Messages are ironic or 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 sarcastic in tone
 rare common like dislike
21. Messages contain insider 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 references understandable
 only to members of that group

22. Messages give advice to 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 other participants

23. Messages sympathize with 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 other participants

24. Messages are tentative or 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 overly polite

25. Messages forcefully 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 assert sender's views
 rare common like dislike
26. Participants boast of own 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 achievements/importance

27. Messages contain profanity 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

28. Messages have racist 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 content

29. Messages have sexist 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 content

30. Participants "flame" or 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
 express strong negative
 emotion

OTHER
1. How many screens does a message have to be before you consider it
"too long" (i.e. consider deleting it or skipping to the next message)?

2. Would you favor limits on length and/or frequency of posting to public
lists/newsgroups? If so, what limits would you propose?

3. Put an X next to the statement that best applies:
 In my experience on the net, participants behave politely and
 appropriately
 a) almost all the time
 b) most of the time, with some exceptions
 c) about half of the time
 d) not very often
 e) almost never

RESPONDENT BACKGROUND INFORMATION (important)
1. Age: under 25; 25-35; 36-45; 46-55; 56-65; over 65

2. Sex: M F

3. Ethnicity: White (non-Hispanic); Asian; African-American;
 Hispanic; Native American; other

4. Native language if other than English:

5. Academic position: Prof; Assoc. Prof; Assist. Prof; Instructor
 (non tenure-track); Grad student; Undergrad; academic staff;
 researcher; not associated with academia

6. Field of specialization:

7. Number of years using computer networks:

8. Number of electronic discussion lists you currently subscribe to:

9. How often, on the average, do you contribute to these lists?

10. Number of newsgroups you read (regularly or occasionally):

11. How often, on the average, do you contribute to these newsgroups?

=====================================================================
Thank you for responding. Please send surveys and requests for
summary of survey results to susanutafll.uta.edu or (snail mail):
Prof. Susan Herring, Program in Linguistics, University of Texas,
Arlington, TX 76019 USA.