Online etiquette is just as important as traditional etiquette because it serves the same purpose. Society has rules for how to communicate goodwill and cooperation through actions rather than words. Etiquette refers to the details of said rules. One could still communicate cooperation and goodwill without following the rule of etiquette, but the message would be received more easily if one observed those rules. Particularly because the risk of miscommunication is high online, following the rules of etiquette because very important because the recipient cannot receive all the other messages of goodwill/cooperation that would typically be sent through body language and other actions.
One rule that I try to follow is to make sure that I communicate with words (either through the way I say them or by outright saying what my emotions/body language is) what they would be able to sense if I was talking with them face-to-face. For example, I'll say, "Oh, yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking! (sarcasm, fyi)" or something so they don't have to guess how to interpret what I was meaning. Also, emoticons are amazing inventions for the same reason, but can be overused. I try to avoid strong language or writing under strong emotion because it can come out the wrong way, or, because I do not see them, I can end up saying something that I don't mean without realizing the impact of my words.
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