Ettiquette

What's the online equivalent of the handshake which is usually offered at the end of a face to face game? I know we can click 'good game' but sometimes it hasn't been - one of us may have played very badly or made just one decisive bad move. I usually type "well played" into chat before resigning, sometimes adding "(though I was careless)" if I feel I gave it away. But I am amazed at the number of opponents who simply leave after losing, even though chat is enabled. (And I don't mind comments in other languages.)

I like the idea of a virtual handshake... but it sure seems like the etiquette part is non existent in online chess... particularly faster time controls... I suspect it is because we (I include myself) like to move onto the next game asap...

Devastating tensions exist between players, and within players (especially in blitz). We are continuously lost within the meanders of mental X-files. Our minds pose this devious tendency to project our own aggression onto other players image - ascribing them the darkest of intention,

Not a coincidence in ancient world Mercury - the mind, was given as ´malevolent trickster´

Chivalry is not quite dead once someone has the wherewithal to keep it alive :-) 

You could select an emoji icon .... there's one for handshake, though Ive never experienced anyone using it during/after a game. 

Also there's a 'thumb-up' which could be used as a 'thank-you'. Some cultures, I believe view 'thumb-up' as offensive. 

...Good Game, seems safe bet :-) 

Interestingly, on lichess.org it seems better set-up to post, 'thank you' , 'well played', etc. I find it certainly affects the tone of the game if theres a friendly, fair, decent comment given before & after a game. A game is a game, and yet played between two persons, it's nice to have some etiquette and keep some sense of chivalry alive - esp. in an age where technology can alienate people. Some people would rather believe they're playing against a computer screen than a human :-) 

I leave chat disabled. I just don't want to deal with the possible negativity that can happen in chat. But if I had a button for "Thanks for the game" I would probably use it.

Me too :-)