4. Digital Etiquette

Penny Sparrow Image. [Online] https://storify.com/sabcnewsonline/penny-sparrow [Accessed: 01 May 2016].

In January 2016, Penny Sparrow posted a racial slur on her Facebook account calling black people monkeys.  That post went viral in a matter of minutes and her inappropriate behaviour had consequences not only on her as an individual but on society as well. Online behaviour, whether it is comments, images, posts, videos, etc., it will always have an impact on those around us.  We will look at the impact it had on her online reputation and the impact it had on society. 

The lack of netiquette had such a negative impact on her, that she faced quite a number of consequences.  She was found guilty of ‘hate speech’ in the Equity Court and was ordered to pay a fine of R150 000.00.  Penny lost her job, the DA suspended her membership and she went into hiding.  Not only did she receive inappropriate voice and text messages, but her social media accounts were flooded with comments and monkey emoticons.

Let us look at the impact it had on society.  Firstly, her previous job, Jawitz Properties, got media coverage because she had worked there previously.  They had to post an apology and stipulated that they were not affiliated with her because she was an ex-employee.  This estate agency who had a positive brand image was compromised by her comments.  Secondly, society who dictates netiquette has the strongest and has the most effect on the socio-cultural environment.  People were not impressed with her so-called apology.  They said it was laughable because the more she said, the more offensive it was.  Society felt that she was a reminder of how segregated beaches were during apartheid. 

Here are a few guidelines from Virginia Shea’s online etiquette (netiquette).

·         Remember the human
Do not say something online that you would not say face to face.

·         Adhere to the same standards of behaviour online that you follow in real life
Be ethical at all times because bad netiquette is breaking the law.

·         Know where you are in cyberspace
You should always reflect respect no matter which forum you are in, e.g. Chat room.

·         Respect other people’s time and bandwidth
Images, video and documents costs money, so think twice on what you send.

·         Make yourself look good online
Intelligence is based on your spelling and grammar, so proof read is of utmost importance and also post things that you know about.

·         Share expert knowledge
Help and share knowledge where you can.

·         Help keep flame wars under control
Do not try and add fuel to a bad situation on social media.  If you have cause the flame, apologise.

·         Respect other people’s privacy
Do not give out people’s private information without their consent.

·         Do not abuse your power
It is important to know how to use your power wisely.

·         Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes
We all had to start somewhere, there are people who know little.

In conclusion, digital etiquette differs depending on the situation, audience and environment.  A lack of netiquette knowledge, like Penny Sparrow, has caused a substantial amount of damage. Racial comments will always have a negative impact on society no matter the race.  Freedom of speech comes with responsibility.


References:

News 24. 2016 [Online]. Available at: http://city-press.news24.com/News/penny-sparrow-back-in-court-on-criminal-charges-for-racist-comments-20160912 [Accessed on 30 April 2017]

 The Guardian. 2016 [Online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/07/south-africa-penny-sparrow-apartheid-nostalgia-racist [Accessed on 30 April 2017]

SABC Newsonline. 2017 [Online]. Available at: https://storify.com/sabcnewsonline/penny-sparrow [Accessed at: 28 April 2017]

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