EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Email Has Become a Way of Life for Most of Us. With That in Mind, It Might be a Good Idea to Review Some Simple Rules.
By Jeanie Swisher
Email is here to stay. It's fun and it's convenient. Plus, it costs less than half a cent to send an e-mail. But the question remains--are there rules of etiquette for email senders?
The answer is emphatically, "Yes!" Email is much the same as a regular letter and many of the same rules apply. Let's take a look at them:
1. Greeting--Start by saying, "Hello." Many email addresses are shared by more than one person. Don't assume that because you have entered an email address that you don't need a salutation.
2. Caps--Use upper case characters sparingly. Typing in ALL CAPS can be offensive to the reader.
3. Overload--Be considerate of email overload. With the ease of email, you should "think" before you send a frivolous message. Although receiving one hundred emails or more a day may seemingly make someone feel important, the vast amount of correspondence can be overwhelming. As many will attest, there is just no way to get your job done and process huge numbers of emails at the same time. Answering email is a job in itself.
4. Phone--Email doesn't replace a telephone call. If you have something really important to say, make the call yourself. It's pure fantasy to think that just because you fired off an email that you're going to get an answer fired right back. Many people are burdened each day with overwhelming amounts of email. Email is not an ATM.
5. Jokes--Keep the joke material to a minimum. It's not uncommon to receive emails with up to one hundred addresses attached to it. Think before you fire off a cute joke to 100 friends who will pass it on to another hundred.
6. Reply--When you answer someone's question, always use "reply" so that the original message will be included. Never assume that everyone will remember why he or she contacted you originally.
7. HTML--The debate rages about using html in emails. When you receive emails with a coded Web site address, the url is in html code. It's there for your convenience. To not use html in email because of the few who don't have accommodating browsers would be like using a manual typewriter instead of a computer. Most of the mainstream browsers will accommodate html.
8. Closing--Close your email just like you would a regular letter. Use words like "Sincerely," "Best Wishes," "Warm Regards," "Have a Nice Day," etc. These all leave the reader with pleasant thoughts of you.
9. Spell Check--Always use the spell checker. Occasionally everyone misspells a word. But when you're sending an email, the very last thing before sending should be a spell check. And it only takes a second.
It's just plain good sense and common courtesy to follow the rules of email etiquette. And it makes the recipient feel glad that they heard from you.
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