1. Email Etiquette
Do not write in caps because this is considered yelling or shouting in
cyberspace.
To avoid clogging other people's inboxes or slowing down their incoming
messages, you should not send huge attachments unless absolutely
necessary.
Some ‘pet hates’ in regards to email etiquette would include:
Receiving an email with no greeting.
Writing in different fonts and sizes in one long message.
Receiving an email with a large attachment that takes forever to
download.
Spam such as peoples trying to sell themselves or other useless products.
Some tips on emailing would include:
"Re:" is for Replies
"Re:" means "Reply:" and should only be used in replies.
Agree About the Format Before Sending an Attachment
Make sure recipients can open the attachments you send them by agreeing on
their format beforehand.
Always Check the Recipient of a Reply to a List Message
Don't send personal messages to millions. Double-check where you send your
email, especially when you reply to a mailing list message.
Ask Before You Send Huge Attachments
Don't clog email systems without permission.
Avoid "Me Too" Messages
"Me too" is not enough content, but too much annoyance.
Avoid Date Misinterpretations in Emails
I'll see you 020301, right? Here's how to avoid confusion about dates in emails.
Avoid Embarrassing Emails
Avoid embarrassing emails by sending them to you only (by default).
Be Careful with Irony in Emails
No, really! I mean it. Honestly!

2. Be Careful with Punctuation Around URLs
Make sure the links in your emails work. Punctuation around URLs can interfere
with that.
Be Sparing of Exclamation Marks
One exclamation mark is certainly enough!! This cannot be stressed enough.
Check Other Replies Before Replying on a Mailing List
New ideas are better ideas. If you read all replies to a particular message on a
mailing list before replying yourself, you can avoid repeating something that's
already been said.
Clean Up Emails Before Forwarding Them
Forwarding emails is a great way of sharing ideas, but make sure the original
idea is not hidden in obfuscation.
Do Away with Titles and Names in Emails
Dear Ms, Mrs and Mr Reader... fortunately, emails can often do without titles and
names.
Do Let People Know Their Mail Has Been Received
Did the spam filter eat my message? Spare others this nagging question and let
them know you got their email.
Do Not Default to "Reply All"
"Reply" is good. "Reply to all" is better. Right?
Don't Forward Hoaxes
Email hoaxes often contain stories that are intriguing, and sure to irritate. Here's
how to spot and stop urban legends.
Don't Reply to Spam on a Mailing List
You don't want to be a spammer, do you? Replying to spam that appears on a
mailing list may make you look like one, though.
Email Leaves a Permanent Record
Everything you mail will be used against you.
How to Forward Emails as Attachments Intelligently
Share emails by forwarding them in a smart and efficient manner.
How to Forward Emails as Attachments Without Revealing Addresses

3. Share the full message and the full contents in a clean way, but don't disclose
other recipient's email addresses.
How to Catch Typos by Printing Your Emails
You can often find typos or misplaced commas neither your spelling checker nor
you yourself catch when proofreading on the screen.
How to Insert any International or Special Character in Mac OS X
If you need to type characters nowhere to be found on your keyboard, Mac OS X
provides comfortable ways to find and insert them in your emails.
How to Insert any International or Special Character in Windows
Do you want to include some French in your emails, spell a name or place
properly or discuss old Chinese writings maybe? Here's how to include foreign
language characters in your messages using Windows.
How to Prevent Annoying Thank-You Notices
End email conversations without unnecessary "Thank You" and "You're welcome"
notes that are more annoying than nice.
How to Quote Original Messages Properly in Replies
Make your email replies easy to read and understand by quoting in a smart and
useful manner.
How to Separate Multiple Recipients Correctly
Message for you, you, you, and you. If you send an email to multiple recipients,
make sure you enter them correctly.
How to Set Your System Clock Right
Make sure you don't send messages from 1981.
How to Use Current Antivirus Software, Keep it Up to Date and Scan for Free
Make sure you're not spreading worms and viruses via email or act as a vehicle
for spreading spam. All this can be caused by malicious emails. Fortunately,
there's protection.
How to Use Markdown to Send Emails That Look Good in Plain Text and
Formatting
Hint at formatting smartly in the plain text email you write and have it rendered
as rich text in supporting email programs while the message still looks good to
everyone else. Here's how to employ Markdown formatting in your emails.
How to Write a Good Email Subject

4. Do you make these mistakes in your email subjects? (The key to getting your
messages read is not to be clever.)
Keep Emails Short
Do not intimidate recipients with too much text.
Keep Your Email Signature to 5 Lines of Text
"Signature" is a synonym for brief and unobtrusive — or at least it should be,
because overly long signatures in emails are an annoyance.
No Need for Street Addresses in Email Signatures
Come visit me, everybody! Unless you want everybody and the whole world to
know where you live, don't include your street address in your email signature.
Properly Formatted Email Replies for the Lazy
Do you think quoting original text in your email replies perfectly is a lot of work?
Don't let the '>' intimidate you! Here's a very comfortable, relaxed, quick and
still clean and compatible way to reply properly.
Punctuation Matters; in Emails Too
Comma, colon, hyphen and semicolon — all exist for a reason: they make it
easier to understand the intended meaning of a sentence. Don't make life more
difficult and possibly less interesting for the recipients of your emails. Pay some
— though not too pedantically much — attention to punctuation.
Remove All Email Addresses When You Forward a Message
Share the message, not email addresses when forwarding an email.
Repeat Important Subject Information in the Body
The Subject line of your emails is important, but you shouldn't rely on it being
read or paid attention.
Request Return Receipts Sparingly
Let recipients reply when (ever) they want.
Resize Pictures to Handy Proportions Before Inserting Them in Emails
When your photos look good in your email, you look good, too! Here's how to
make sure your images are not larger than screens and mailboxes by resizing
them in style — online and for free.
Respect Mailing List Customs

5. What is okay here may be an affront there. Customs differ from mailing list to
mailing list, and you should respect each.
Send Email Etiquette Hints Privately
You made a mistake, if I'm not mistaken. Pointing out email etiquette mistakes
in public is not very polite and a bit annoying — an email etiquette faux
pas, so to speak.
Smileys Should Ring an Alarm
Don't use smileys to say something you should not (and don't intend to) say in
emails.
Take Another Look Before You Send a Message
Don't send anything you don't want to send.
Talk About One Subject per Email Message Only
Help make the world less confusing. Try to talk about one subject per message
only. For another subject, start a new email.
The Problem with Using Dialect, Slang and Jargon in Emails
Waach prablym? (The problem that you are so difficult to read.)
Use "OT" in the Subject to Indicate Off-Topic Messages
It's never off-topic to state when your message is.
Use Acronyms Sparingly in Email
DYK? Not everybody knows every acronym, and they don't save that much time
anyway.
Use Bold Face in Plain Text Email Messages
Put a bold face onto your plain text. Here's how to make simple text stand out
among its peers by mimicking bold face in plain text emails.
Use Bullet Points for Readability in Emails
Bullet points make your emails *easier to read and *easier to reply to.
Use Email the Way You Can Want Everybody to Use It
You have the future, and the present of humankind in your hands — even when
you just write an email.
Use Italics in Plain Text Email Messages

6. Emphasize text the Italian way in your emails by italicizing passages and words,
even when you write using plain text only.
Use Lots of White Space in Your Email Messages
Messageswithhardlyanywhitespacearedifficulttodecipher.
Use Only Lower Case Characters in Your Email Address
Choose wisely when creating a new email address and help avoid email address
case confusion.
Use the Standard Email Signature Delimiter
Sign your signature correctly by employing the standard signature delimiter in
your emails.
Visibly Delete Text in Emails
Do you often (want to) say something without quite saying it? Say something
just to be able to take it back? Here's a handy shortcut for doing that in emails,
and a way to communicate Freudian slippers, too.
What Can be Misunderstood Will be Misunderstood
The problem that whatever can be misinterpreted will indeed be misunderstood
is not unique to email, but with email it is uniquely severe.
When in Doubt, End Emails with "Thanks"
If you don't know how to say good-bye at the end of an email, there's one thing
that will almost always be appropriate. Thanks.
When in Doubt, Send Plain Text Email, Not Fancy HTML
Not everybody can receive your fancily formatted emails. Some may even react
furious. To be safe rather than sorry, send plain text emails only when in doubt.
Where to Put Your Signature
Without a line sub-scripted "sign here", how do you decide where to place your
email signature? Look here.
Why You Should Compress Files Before Sending Them via Email
Smaller is more beautiful, at least when it comes to email attachments. So make
files smaller before your send them via email.
Wondering "How to Put That in Writing", Write "That"
Tell it like it is. Have you notices how people who you understand perfectly well
when you listen to them become cryptic when they start writing?

7. Wrap Lines at About 65 Characters in Emails
Make your messages a joy to read by ensuring your lines are short and sweet.
Writing in All Caps is Like Shouting
Don't shout in your emails (and all caps are so difficult to read).
http://email.about.com/od/netiquettetips/Email_Netiquette_Tips_Tricks_and_Se
crets.htm
As a general rule though, netiquette involves the same principles as plain old
etiquette -- basic courtesy, respect and ethics.
By following the principles outlined below, the recipient of your email will be
more likely to read and act, if not be favourably impressed by your message:
1. Subject line to summarise the message. Make the Subject line
summarise the body of the e-mail. Ask yourself, 'will the
recipient(s) know what this e-mail is about'. For example, Instead
of Subject: Exam, say Subject: Location of 1508INT Exam, 23 July
05.
2. Don't assume the recipient knows the background. Include
enough contextual information at the beginning of the e-mail for
the recipient to know what the matter is about. If in doubt, put
background information in. For example, don't say can I have an
extension for my assignment?Instead say I refer to the CIT3622
assignment 1 that I handed in late. I was ill and have a doctor's
certificate. May I ask for an extension on the basis that I was too ill
to do it on time?
3. Keep it concise. Keep messages brief and to the point, but not so
brief that it causes the problem outlined in the previous point. This
includes deleting any irrelevant text when an email has been back
and forth several times. No-one wants to scroll down through pages
of text in order to reach the message they want to read. If the
sense of the email will be lost by deleting that text, however, leave
it in.
4. Reply within 24 hours. Try to reply within 24 hours, less if
possible. In fact, get in the habit of replying immediately -- it is the
polite thing to do, and the recipient will appreciate a prompt reply.
It also makes you look efficient. The longer you leave it to reply,
the more likely you will forget or have too big a log-jam of
unanswered email.
5. Allow time for a reply. E-mail messages are not
usually required to be answered immediately, though it is good

8. practice if you do. Before sending a reminder, allow some time for a
response, sometimes even a few days. Not everyone is online 24
hours a day.
6. Use the BCC field when sending bulk email. If you're sending
email to a whole list of people, put their email addresses in the BCC
field. That way, the privacy of the recipient is respected, and
spammers cannot harvest the email addresses for their dastardly
purposes.
7. Don't shout at people or threaten them. Don't use all capital
letters, (UPPERCASE), or oversized fonts. The reader will likely feel
they are being shouted at, or even threatened. If you must use
UPPERCASE, use it very sparingly and only to emphasise a
particularly important point. Ask yourself, 'if I was talking to the
recipient face to face, would I be raising my voice to them?' One
way to add emphasis is to enclose the word/phrase with an
asterisk, for example "It is *important* not to shout at people by
using UPPERCASE". Large sized fonts (greater than 12) are useful
for people with visual impairment, but are not appropriate for
general use.
8. Avoid angry outbursts... Don't send or reply to email when you
are angry. Wait until you have calmed down, and then compose the
email. Once written and sent, it can't be recalled. Angry or
intemperate email has a way of rebounding on the sender. As a
guide, ask yourself, 'would I say this to the person's face?'
9. Correct punctuate and grammar. Use punctuation in a normal
manner. One exclamation point is just as effective as five!!!!! Use
correct grammar as with any written message.
10.Layout message for readability. Use spaces and breaks between
paragraphs and long sentences to make it easier on the reader.
11.Keep the thread. When replying to an e-mail, use the reply option
on the sidebar in your mail. This will keep the message in the
"thread", and make it easier for the recipient to follow.
12.Spelling. Check your spelling! If you don't know how to spell
something, look it up.
13.Don't Reply to All unless necessary. Think twice about sending
a reply to everyone. Perhaps only selected people need to see this
email. Sending it to everyone may simply be contributing to an
already cluttered In-Tray.

9. 14.Acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons are OK within reason.
As long as you don't overdo it, and the recipients can reasonably be
expected to know what they mean, acronyms and abbreviations are
OK to use in e-mail. Emoticons (for example ;-) a winking smiley
face) are good when used in context. As a general rule, you
probably shouldn't use them when talking to someone in authority
unless you're sure.
15.Forgetting attachments. If the reason for sending an email is to
send a file, remember to include it. It’s easy to forget. One strategy
is to attach the file before writing the email.
16.Sharing large files. Avoid sending file attachments larger than a
megabyte unless it is directly necessary (like large work-related
documents, spread sheets and/or presentations). Most of the time,
such attachments might have curiosity value for some but which
end up clogging mail servers and in-boxes much to the annoyance
of systems administrators. If you want to share photos, videos etc.,
use Flickr or YouTube or any of the other many such services now
freely available.
17.Not Suitable for Work (NSFW) warning. Some workplaces are
tolerant of non-work related email, though not too many these
days. Especially if the email you are sending contains 'adult'
material be sure to include the NSFW warning in the subject line.
Not doing this might get someone into trouble with their boss.
18.Edit the superfluous text out of emails... When you are sending
email that has 'been around' in the sense that it has been replied to
or forwarded many times, take the time to remove the angle
brackets '>' from the message. It’s irritating for many people to see
text in such disarray. The easiest way is to copy and paste the text
into a word processor, and use the search and replace function to
remove any unwanted characters. The example below breaks both
this rule and the one about shouting at people by using
UPPERCASE:
>>>>>>THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN FROM A NEPALESE GOOD LUCK MANTRA.
YOU'LL
>>>>>>>FIND IT TO BE WORTH READING AND WORTH SHARING:
>>>>>>>do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands
>> within 96
>>>>>>>hours or you will suffer harm.
19.Chain Letters... It is becoming more common, as more people use
email for more varied purposes for it to be used for multilevel
marketing, chain letters, pyramid schemes and other dubious

10. purposes. The example above is one of the more benign examples
of an implied threat as a way to motivate the recipient to take
action. Another example is the chain letter that claims to be for the
benefit of a dying child or promises to make you rich overnight if
only you send it to five more people, and send $10 to the person
who sent it to you. Most people, me included, find these email
practices particularly annoying.
20.Don't be over-familiar with the recipient... Many people, me
included are offended by strangers being over-familiar. For example
I react badly to people I don't know addressing me as 'Dave'. Only
friends and family call me that. As a rule, use the title or form of
address that you would use in verbal communication.
21.Illegal Activities. These include libel (defamatory statements),
discrimination (racial, sexual, religious, ageist etc.), some adult
material (child or violent erotica), illegal information (how to kill or
injure people, incitement to violence, racial hatred etc.). This advice
does not apply to the vast majority of email users, who would never
indulge in the aforementioned practices. But for those so inclined,
not only are these likely to offend the recipient, people found
engaging in illegal activities involving email are likely to have strong
sanctions brought against them by the university and by the civil
authorities.
22.Email is not confidential. It is almost laughably easy for the
contents of your email to be read by others without your
knowledge. So it’s wise to avoid saying anything you wouldn't write
on the back of a postcard. Also, if you work within an organisation,
rather than directly connected to an ISP (internet service provider)
it’s becoming more likely that every email you send and receive is
scanned for certain words that are 'deemed unacceptable'. Email
with 'unacceptable' content is quarantined, and record is kept.
People can be disciplined or fired if they send or receive too much
such email. The organisation has every user sign an 'acceptable
use' contract as a condition of their having an email account. That
way, the employee can be deemed to have broken the contract,
justifying disciplining him or her.
23.Correct priority. Avoid marking an email 'high priority' when it is
really 'normal' priority.
Acronyms & Emoticons
These are a popular and useful way of expressing emotion in email. There is a
growing number, but these are the basic ones that people use:

11. o 2L8 -- too late
o AAMOF -- as a matter of fact
o AFAIK -- as far as I know
o B4N -- bye for now
o CMIIW -- correct me if I'm wrong
o CUL -- see you later
o FWIW -- for what it’s worth
o FYI -- for your information
o IKWUM -- I know what you mean
o IMHO -- in my humble opinion
o KWIM -- Know what I mean?
o ROTFL -- rolling on the floor laughing
o TIA -- thanks in advance
o TTYL -- talk to you later
o :) happy
o :( sad
o :o very surprised
o ;) wink
o ;* kiss
o 8) person with glasses smiling
o :& tongue-tied
If all this seems too prescriptive, feel free to ignore any or all of it. It makes no
guarantees; it is simply a guide to writing email that if applied sensibly will
enable you to have constructive relations with people via the medium of email.
http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/~davidt/email_etiquette.htm