Polite Software

'Politeness' is a critical success factor for software

1. Respect others’ rights.
Polite software respects the user, does not pre-empt user choices and does not act on or copy information without its owner’s permission.

2. Openly declare itself.
Polite software does not sneak or change things in secret, rather it openly declares what it does, who it represents and how the organisation can be contacted.

3. Help the other party.
Polite software helps users make informed choices and provides useful, understandable information when needed.

4. Remember the interaction.
Polite software remembers past user choices when it comes to future interactions.