Online students are often required to discuss their curriculum via a message board or chat room. Because of the apparent informality of these venues, it can be difficult to present yourself as articulate and professional - especially when you need to disagree with another person's comment. A new article from Paul Grahm explains in detail how to disagree when posting on the internet. Here's a blurb:

"The web is turning writing into a conversation. Twenty years ago, writers wrote and readers read. The web lets readers respond, and increasingly they do-in comment threads, on forums, and in their own blog posts....If we're all going to be disagreeing more, we should be careful to do it well. What does it mean to disagree well? Most readers can tell the difference between mere name-calling and a carefully reasoned refutation, but I think it would help to put names on the intermediate stages."

If you are expected to participate in online class discussion boards, I'd suggest taking a look at the complete article. By following the examples given, you'll be able to lay out a well-reasoned and articulate argument the next time you disagree with a post.

See Also: How to Participate in an Online Class Chat Room