Clearly, not everybody subscribes to e-mail etiquette. This might actually be because many people don't realize there is such a thing, or perhaps they would prefer it didn't exist.
Like any form of etiquette – it’s a good idea to consider e-mail etiquette in order to prevent misunderstandings and avoid offending people you communicate with via e-mail. It also goes a long way to helping make business communications more effective.
So, here are a 6 rules of "Netiquette" as it is sometimes known:
1) DON’T VENT
It's a bad idea to send angry or violent or verbally abusive communications by e-mail – ever. E-mail is a very "cold" medium - there are no visual or audio cues to help interpret the message. It's therefore an inappropriate medium for negative communications. Some people also have a tendency to “hide behind e-mail” when they don’t have the wherewithal to confront a person directly.
If you have a beef with someone, find another way to resolve it – personally. If you feel you need to send something confrontational, sleep on it. The stronger your communication, the longer you should think about it. And if you get something in your e-mail box that is confrontational, stop the process and pick up the phone.
2) DON’T SHOUT
Don't use capitals in an e-mail message. It comes across as harsh and is very hard to read.
3) KEEP IT FOCUSED
Get to the point, for God's sake. Some people have a habit of rambling on and on in their e-mail communications and wasting everybody's time. It can be sheer drudgery and a waste of time to slog through these e-mails.
4) ASK BEFORE SENDING ATTACHMENTS
Don't send that 5 MB attached file without checking to make sure your recipient can handle it on their end (they may have a slower Internet connection, or their business network may reject attachments over a certain size.).
5) READ IT OVER BEFORE YOU SEND
Check the entire message before you send - including who it's addressed to. Everyone is in a hurry to get things out the door but with e-mail you can make an irretrievable mistake if you accidentally "cc" someone who should not be on the recipient list (this happens a lot when people click "Reply all" instead of just "Reply.") Oops! E-mail is permanent, remember (corporations have fallen on the audit trail they leave behind).
And yes, do correct those typos. E-mails are notorious for having more typos per square inch than any other form of written communication.
6) NEVER FORWARD SENSITIVE E-MAILS
Always ask if it's OK to forward a sensitive e-mail communication. The sender might not want it distributed to certain parties.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Some businesses have e-mail policies about what you can and can't do with e-mail while you're at work. (Something to keep in mind is that your employer has access to your e-mail communications. If that doesn't make you careful about what you send, I don't know what will.
If you're not sure, ask your employer about their email policies.
Likewise, many colleges and universities post their versions of e-mail etiquette on their websites.
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