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OFW guide: How to stay out of trouble with proper etiquette, 'netiquette'
Nowadays, it is not enough to observe the proper etiquette or good manners and right conduct. To stay out of trouble, people must also pay attention to proper "netiquette" or responsible behavior online. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are in countries where their unfamiliarity with laws and culture could get them into serious trouble. In a report of GMA News reporter Tina Panganiban-Perez on Friday for "State of the Nation" (SONA), GMA News Social Media Manager Pia Faustino emphasized the importance of GMA's "Think Before You Click" advocacy. Faustino said it was important to pause and think before posting anything hurtful or scandalous. “May mga benefits yung social media pero at the same time dapat pag-ingatan natin yung responsibility natin sa kanya so dapat think before you click,” Faustino said. “Kung hindi niyo po kayang sabihin sa personal, huwag niyo nang ipost sa Facebook at sa Twitter,” she said. Offensive statements posted on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook are not easy to take back as it easily spreads around the Internet, she added. “Dapat lagi po natin pinag-iisipan yung posibleng maging consequences nang mga pinopost natin,” Faustino explained. Filipino basketball player Don Allado, a center for the Barako Bull team of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), recently learned the importance of proper social media behavior the hard way. Due to his frustration over the results of a game, he tweeted words such as: “In my opinion, this league has little credibility left.” “#PBA games are fixed.” He later apologized, saying it was “an error in judgment” but he was fined P500,000 by the league and was temporarily banned from playing. Netiquette How you present yourself in face-to-face meetings is the basis of first impressions but "netiquette" – your etiquette online – is equally important. Being behind a computer monitor doesn’t hide your real personality. The information site Network Etiquette lists some of the rules when surfing the internet: (1) Always "spell check." Spelling and grammatical errors reduce one's credibility. (2) Avoid using ALL-CAPS. Using all capital letters is the equivalent of shouting at someone in real life. This is inappropriate but there are exceptions to this rule such as when using a subject line, headings, and advertisements. (3) Be yourself. Your online image is just as important as your reputation offline. Don’t do things on the internet that you won’t do in reality. Just be yourself. Acceptable, punishable actions Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, one of the top destinations of OFWs, a guide was recently released to inform expats about acceptable and punishable actions, a report of the news site Emirates 24/7 said. Distributed at the Abu Dhabi International Airport and in hotels, the guide covers topics from improper way of dressing to public intimacy. According to the guide, the following are considered illegal in the UAE:
- Begging
- Vagrancy
- Prostitution
- Drunk Driving
- Drinking in unlicensed places, and
- Possession or abuse of drugs
