Email Netiquette

Etiquette has been called the lubrication that smoothes the friction of our day to day interactions.  On the internet, since no one can see your body language, netiquette is more important.  Online etiquette is called Netiquette and, that which follows are some netiquette rules for electronic mail.

1. Read and respond to your email at least once a day.  Reply to all (non-spam) messages even if you only acknowledge receipt of a message with a few words.
2. Create and compose email messages with the same care you use for formal business and professional letters.  Always remember that email is not a secure means of communication.
3. Choose your words carefully.  Sarcasm or subtle shades of meaning are difficult to detect in e-mail.
4. Never copy or forward the words of others without their permission and acknowledgement of their work.
5. Never spoof.  Posing as someone else or using an anonymizer is bad business.   Always tell the recipient who you really are.
6. Keep e-mail messages brief.  If they have to scroll down to read your message, it is too long.  If you need to convey greater detail or larger amounts of information than this, attach it as a file.
7. Always fill in the subject field of your message.  Not only will many people ignore messages without subjects, many spam filters will automatically block such messages from delivery.
8. The laws that govern written communication apply to e-mail.  SO, do not send abusive, defamatory, obscene, fraudulent, or discriminatory messages.
9. Be tolerant of those who make mistakes in email.  Each day, hundreds of thousands of people send their first email.  Always be kind to newbies.
10. Let individuals know if you will not be available to answer your email for extended periods.  Advanced users should enable auto-responders to respond to messages with an "I'm away" response.
11. Remember that e-mail is equivalent to writing a letter on official letterhead and how professional your messages are reflects directly on you and your organization.