In a forum where people communicate silently, using typed words, it is both easy to misinterpret someone's words and hard to convey your own. Netiquette is the way the Internet community describes politeness when using newsgroups and other forms of communicating, like e-mail.

Typing in capital letters, for example, is understood in the Internet community as SHOUTING. So don't use all caps unless you want to 'shout' your words (which you should avoid in any case). When replying to e-mail or newsgroup articles include as much of the original message to set the context of your reply. Get to know how to use smilies to augment your words. When first joining (or subscribing) to a newsgroup, check the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for that newsgroup before asking questions that are old news to the existing participants.

Other sources of Netiquette: The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquette and Follow the "Netiquette" Rules and Conventions for suggestions of acceptable behaviour.