> > To go off on a slight tangent, I hope Miss Manners never DOES have a section about online communication, because that would only add weight to the ever-growing belief that etiquette online somehow should have different standards from etiquette in ANY OTHER FREAKING CONVERSATION IN THE WORLD like not shouting at people or randomly bursting into a conversation between several complete strangers to tell them something random, or abruptly saying "this is boring goodbye" instead of leaving quietly and politely, or -deep breath- all right, I'm back to normal now.
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> I think that online etiquette should differ from normal etiquette. Courtesy changes with the environment, doesn't it? Some things are perfectly acceptable at a football game that would be appalling at an opera. Online, especially in instant messaging, it is impossible for you to interrupt someone, so it is all right to be constantly typing. In real life, if you never shut up during a serious conversation you should be slapped. I agree that the specific examples you stated are rude both in real life and online, but there are some things acceptable in real life and not online, and vice versa. For instance, in real life it is perfectly acceptable to walk up to a stranger in a room, introduce yourself, and ask them where they are from. Online, that is becoming taboo quickly. I am editing this post, because it is considered polite online to attempt to avoid spelling and grammar errors. In real life, if you misspeak nobody cares. I'm not trying to say that there is no etiquette for online interactions, but there is a difference between online etiquette and other kinds of etiquette.

I think in general it's still the same etiquette, though. Take the introduction-to-strangers thing you mention. In real life, doing it the way you say is fine. Online, doing it like that is also fine, as far as I can tell. The problem comes in when people skip the part that *makes* it polite in real life -- the part about introducing *themselves* and providing some conversational filler as a preliminary to getting to know people.

I doubt anybody would find this made-up conversation rude, either in a chatroom or in person:

NewPerson has entered.
NewPerson: Hi! I haven't been here before. How are you doing?
OtherPeople: Hi, nice to meet you.
NewPerson: What do you mostly talk about here?
OtherPeople: Oh, anything really. Right now we're talking about SomeGuy's new dog.
NewPerson: I like dogs. So where do you all come from? I'm from Iceland.

Next, here is the version which many people seem to consider acceptable in a chatroom. It would get them slapped or ignored in an offline conversation, and I don't see any reason to put up with it online either. These are the sort of people who makes introductions taboo in chatrooms.

NewPerson has entered.
NewPerson: a/s/l everybody?

This isn't an introduction. It's a demand. It's a demand for everybody ELSE to provide their personal details to a total stranger who is not providing anything in return, either in terms of information or in the slightest show of basic everyday politeness.

As for behavioural differences at a football game or an opera, this is equally valid in a chatroom. Part of polite behaviour is being able to identify the social and behavioural context of the company you are in, and conform to it, at least enough that you will not be offensive to anybody.