E-Mail Etiquette

E-Mail Etiquette

The Do’s and Don’ts of Communicating Online

A Presentation by

Gale Mondene

Advantages

• Email offers us a unique and streamlined way to stay in contact with our family, friends, classmates, professors, and business partners.

Advantages

• It’s fast

• It’s free

• It’s effective.

• It keeps us in touch with our family, friends, and business associates.

• It is used extensively in business to “talk” on line and to send and receive documentation for review and revisions.

Disadvantages

• Privacy: There is no such thing as a private e-mail.– Some, if not most, businesses monitor their

employees’ email. Employees have been dismissed because of wasting time on frivolous messages.

– Never send anything by email that you would not want posted on a campus or business bulletin board or reviewed by your parents and/or spouse.

Disadvantages

• Mishaps: the tone of your email can be misinterpreted:– Sounding curt, when in actuality the

responder is using shortcuts to get the message sent faster.

– Email does not convey emotions nearly as well as face-to-face or even telephone conversations.

Disadvantages

– It lacks vocal inflection, gestures, and a shared environment. Your correspondent may have difficulty telling if you are serious or kidding, happy or sad, frustrated or euphoric.

– Sarcasm is particularly dangerous to use in email.

E-Mail Do’s

Use Threads:

Threads are a series of responses to an original message:

• When responding to a line of  messages, pursue the thread by replying to the messages instead of starting an entirely new message. 

• Keeping the thread information together makes it easier for the participants to follow the chain of information that has been exchanged. 

E-Mail Do’s

• Distribution Lists:– If you send your email to more than one

recipient, put your distribution list on the “Bcc” line, rather than the “To” line. This will avoid the recipients from receiving everyone’s email address. This is important in protecting your distribution list from being spammed, or used by others to send chain letters, or to email hoax messages.

Email Do’s

• Be Concise:– Keep your emails short and to the point.

Some people receive hundreds of email a day and long emails hinder timely responses.

• Avoid Flaming– A “flame” is an inflammatory or critical

response. This can lead to embarrassment, hurt feelings, and even kill a friendship.

Email Do’s• Protect Yourself:

– Write your email backwards:• Compose the body of your message first• Spell and grammar check your message• Enter information on the Subject Line• Lastly: enter recipient’s name

This will protect you from sending a flawed or harsh-sounding email. It gives you time to “relax, rethink, revise.”

Email Don’ts

Do Not Use All Caps:– This is the online version of SHOUTING! Do

not use caps unless absolutely necessary. This usually begs for a flame war.

• Do Not Use Too Much Punctuation!!!– Excessive punctuation turns people off and

becomes tiresome.

Emoticons

• Smilies– Many people wish to express their emotions in

an email and do so using visual or auditory cues, such as smilies. The most common example is :-)

– Caution: use emoticons sparingly. You may run the risk of confusing or turning off your recipient.

A Few Smilies ExamplesThis Means This

:-) Smiley face

;-) Wink (light sarcasm)

:-| Indifference

:-> Devilish grin (heavy sarcasm)

8-) Eye-glasses

:-D Shock or surprise

:-/ Perplexed

:-( Frown (anger or displeasure)

:-P Wry smile

;-} Leer

:-Q Smoker

:-e Disappointment

:-@ Scream

:-O Yell

:-* Drunk

HOAXES, CHAIN LETTERS AND URBAN LEGENDS

HOAXES

• How to recognize a hoax– Usually subject line issues a warning:

• Send this to everyone you know-

– Plays on your need to help people:• Warn friends about a terrible computer virus• Help find a kidnapped child• Help a child about to die from a fatal illness

achieve a last wish

RECENT HOAX

• The emailed photo below alleges to show a satellite view of the August 14, 2003 Northeast Blackout:

Alleged 2003 Satellite Photo

Hoax

• Actually, this is a “cropped, doctored version of a well-known composite image created from satellite photos taken between 1994 and 1995 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. (urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_blackout_photo.htm)

CHAIN LETTERS

• The Hook:– Phrase or word to catch your attention

• “Get Rich Quick”• “Free Trip to Disneyworld”• “Virus Alert”

CHAIN LETTERS

• The Threat:– Terrible things will happen to you if you do not

forward this message– Good things will happen to you if you forward

this message– Rampant superstition

CHAIN LETTERS

• The Request:– Send money– Send clothing or household products– Distribute the email

Conclusion

• Remember – good manners are the rule when using email.

• Always remember the KISS acronym when using email.

THAT IS….

•KEEP

•IT•SIMPLE

•SIMON