The Church of England just released a new set of guidelines on how their parishioners should conduct themselves on the Internet…and ABC News (and the rest of the world) has dubbed them the “Online Commandments” even though there’s only nine of them, not ten!

They are:

1. Be safe.  The safety of children, young people and vulnerable adults must be maintained.
2. Be respectful.  Don’t post or share content that is sexually explicit, inflammatory, hateful, abusive, threatening or otherwise disrespectful.
3. Be kind.  Treat others how you would wish to be treated and assume the best in people.  If you have a criticism or critique to make, consider not just whether you would say it in person but the tone you would use.
4. Be honest.  Don’t mislead people about who you are.
5. Take responsibility.  You are accountable for the things you do, say and write.
6. Be a good ambassador.  Personal and professional life can easily become blurred online so think before you post.
7. Disagree well.  Some conversations can be places of robust disagreement and it’s important we apply our values in the way we express them.
8. Credit others.  Acknowledge the work of others, respect copyrights and always give credit where credit’s due.  Be careful about sensitive or confidential information and always question sources before you repost.
9. Follow the rules.  Abide by the terms and conditions of the various social media platforms and report people who don’t. 

We find them not just relevant online but IRL, too (that’s “in real life”)…HBU?