CMAJ 1997;157:67
© 1997 Canadian Medical Association
Never, ever do this on the Internet
In this column, family physician Karen Breeck of Timmins, Ont., (karen@gretmar.com) discusses the basic rules of etiquette on the Net.
I hesitate to admit it, but I am a little prudish when it comes to manners in cyberspace. As a Web-site creator my hackles are raised when someone upsets my digital sensibilities, so I have prepared a list of actions that can immerse offenders in hot water. Although it isn't authoritative, the list's guidelines will help you avoid being shunned in cyberspace.
Electronic mail security: Using email is like sending a postcard. It is sent without encryption and anyone with too much time on her hands can read your message. For doctors, this raises issues of patient confidentiality. My test: If someone were to intercept my email message, print it and pin it on an office bulletin board, would anyone besides me and the patient know who the message was about?
Write clearly: email, by its nature, combines the familiarity of the spoken word with the look and feel of writing. Unfortunately, the drive to be brief may obscure the message. Before sending an email, reread it to ensure clarity and tone.
Mind your sarcasm: When we speak, body language and tonal changes provide cues about the true meaning behind our words. These cues are missing in email, so if you are joking or being sarcastic make sure the reader knows. If you're not sure, try using "emoticons." For example, if you are happy or joking, try using :-) -- looked at sideways, it indicates a smile. However, note that in some circles the overuse of emoticons is a hanging offence!
Replying: Your reply is expected quickly in cyberspace. If you can't provide an answer within 2 to 3 days, send an email stating this. Quote only relevant portions of the original message.
Forwarding email: Never forward a personal message to a third party without the originator's consent. Breaking this rule is a fast way to lose friends. email messages are often intended only for the recipient and may not be received well by a larger audience. Remember, few people would enjoy having their letters posted in the doctors' lounge.
Newsgroups: Everyone is watching! Millions of people use newsgroups every day and one of them might be your old English teacher! Proofread carefully.
Cross-posting: The Internet allows people to post messages to as many newsgroups as they wish. In polite circles, this is called cross-posting; in less polite circles it is called spamming. There may be occasions when you're required to post a message to more than 1 newsgroup, but this is an exception, never a rule. Keep this in mind when you are replying to someone else's message picked up from a newsgroup: if the originator posted to a gazillion newsgroups, your response will travel the same paths. Edit your list of addressees carefully.
Highlights from CMA Online
We have launched a new section, "Medical training and licensure" (www.cma.ca/mdtrnlic; [French] mdtrnlic/index_f.htm). Along with a link to the Canadian Resident Matching Service and MedGuide: an Information and Licensure Handbook for Canadian and Foreign Physicians, the section includes information on ways international medical graduates can pursue postgraduate training and obtain a licence to practise here. It also includes Thinking of becoming a doctor?, which answers many questions raised by potential medical students.
Cool site
doyle.ibme.utoronto.ca
Dr. John Doyle (djdoyle@inforamp.net) of Toronto has created an interesting personal Web site. He is a staff anesthetist at the Toronto Hospital and associate professor of electrical engineering and biomedical engineering as well as anesthesia at the University of Toronto. His site offers, among other things, operating-room photo and art "galleries," a collection of bizarre clinical tales, an airway casebook in progress and John's Airway/Respiratory InfoCenter, a huge collection of Web links for clinicians and scientists interested in clinical airway and respiratory issues. There are also links to his own 1-page summaries for those studying for exams. He is also "author/curator" of several other Web sites, which are linked from the InfoCenter. Two are part of the GASNet site at Yale University. One, Anesthesia InfoCenter (gasnet.med.yale.edu/aic), is a wonderful resource for patients expecting to undergo surgery. Doyle notes on the site that it has not been awarded the coveted "Top 5% of all Web Sites" award. However, it does proudly bear a "Bottom 95% of the Web" emblem!
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