6. ETIQUETTE: Rules to Live By
 Etiquette
refers to a set of behaviors—or community standards—that a group of people
has agreed to abide by. These standards bring a community's beliefs and
values into focus by celebrating what's admired and letting people know
what won't be tolerated.
In a medium as fluid and flexible as the Web, establishing and maintaining community standards can be challenging. Online culture has long been anti-authoritarian, and people in Web communities routinely do and say things they'd never dare to in a face-to-face encounter. To complicate matters further, the tools for enforcing community ground rules are still primitive, and the laws governing cyberspace are in their early formative stages and changing rapidly. Nonetheless, communities need clear social boundaries
to thrive—so if you want to build a substantial and lasting Web community,
you'll need to create some basic ground rules that are tailored to your
audience, and set up systems that let you evolve these rules to meet the
changing needs of your community.
In This Chapter Develop Your Ground Rules
Enforce Your Policies
Evolve Your Rules
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