This month’s digital safety theme is ‘kind online communication’. At the University we expect everyone to treat each other with dignity and respect, both offline and online. At the University we expect everyone to treat each other with dignity and respect, both offline and online.

The University’s Policy on Employee Use of Social Media highlights that digital citizenship is a part of staff life. Now, you have a right for a work life balance, and your employer should not monitor your private activities without good reason. But bear in mind that in practice, the internet is (mostly) a public place, and so the Social Media policy states:

At a practical level, all employees are advised to avoid posting anything online that they would not wish managers or colleagues (both internal and external) to see.

Privacy

Privacy of staff and students, and the University is also essential. Being a good digital citizen means respecting the information of others and proactively considering the impact public posts may have. An identifiable photo of a colleague from after-work drinks may lead to conflict with their religious family. The sarcastic inside-joke from a friend that you posted may be misinterpreted as rude and disrespectful online. A photo of the new office taken by a high-spec phone camera may include sensitive or personal details on the computer screens in the background. Asking yourself honestly ‘what impact could this content have?’ before making it public online can go a long way.

Duty of Care

They should ensure that those who are able to access the information they post have a right to see it, and also that it is appropriate that they see such information.

This statement in the policy highlights another important part of kind online communication – keeping your audience in mind. Anonymity and echo chambers are a part of the internet, and can shape safety and community. However, they also make it easy to send content into the online ether without any consideration for who sees it and its impact. Similarly, we may also not consider whether the information we shared could land in the wrong hands and be used for malice, whether we intended for that to happen or not. Content warnings, privacy settings, and age restrictions and the like are a great start.

Before posting something online, be aware of your duty of care towards the information you hold, and the people that may see it. Revert back to the quote above and ask yourself: ‘Who sees this and is it appropriate for them to see this information?’.

In a digital world, it is nearly impossible to separate private life from professional online activity. So, in a nutshell, employees of the University are encouraged to keep their digital footprint in mind.

Netiquette at the University of Edinburgh / Digital Skills, Design and Training by is licensed under a