Reverse netiquette

[author_by_night]

I've been wondering when one should mention a breach of netiquette on the web.  I have a tendency to be blunt, and tell people not to use "u" if they do, or that all caps is screaming. But it's occurred to me that perhaps that, too, is a breach of netiquette.[Poll #1297928][Poll #1297928]

Comments

[conuly]

I don't think age matters, in most people's dealings, as much as... call it "length of presence". If you've been around this place, or if people have known you, for two years, you are in that respect "older" than people who have just shown up.

People online are unlikely to know your real age - I tend to assume everybody I'm speaking with is my age unless they directly say something to contradict that! - and they probably don't care anyway. But they have a feel for how long you've been posting, and how much *experience* you have with the online world, even if you haven't posted *there* before.

Edit: I'm not taking a stand, mind, on whether "I've been here forever, and this guy's a total n00b" should justify correcting or not. Just that I think most people, when deciding if it was right or wrong and figuring out whom they're siding with, they'll take that into account.