Libel

Don't use the network to make damaging or untruthful statements about others.

Copyright

Respect intellectual property. Don't use or distribute copyright material as if it were your own, and always obtain permission if you plan to use someone else's material. This applies whether it is text, sound, video, graphics files or programs.

Obscenity

In most cases, users will be bound by the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) of their network in areas such as obscenity and pornography. If not the network provider, then the country's law may apply to the provision or transmission of this type of material. Unfortunately, the interest of a minority of network users in pornographic and obscene material is a dominant factor in the general perception of the Internet, a shadow which falls over all Internet users.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments For Computer Ethics' from the Computer Ethics Institute provide a good general starting point for any network user:

Acceptable Use Policy

On the subject of rules, it is also worth mentioning that networks usually have some form of Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). Observe the policy of your own network. Infringing the rules may result in your account being withdrawn. Networks may specifically prohibit the use of the network for creation or transmission of material which is illegal, defamatory, offensive, obscene or indecent. Academic networks will probably prohibit the use of the network for commercial purposes. A chastening thought is the fact that much network traffic is likely to cross the boundaries of a number of networks and possibly countries before it reaches its destination and that each will have a different AUP and different laws. This suggests that it is better to play it safe on the networks.