Just as there are rules of etiquette for other modes of communication, such as the telephone, there are e-mail etiquette rules that you need to remember. So how can you decide if you are using proper etiquette in your e-mails? Read "E-mail Etiquette" and take note of some tips that you think will be most useful to you.
Why should you reply to an e-mail as soon as possible?
What happens when you "reply to all"?
When would you need to use all capital letters in an e-mail?
Which of the following could be spread as a result of sending chain e-mails?
These can take time to download.
Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers include:
1. Read your personal e-mail, and reply to it as soon as possible. The e-mail might contain a request, an invitation, or a question about something important. It shows that you value your friend's time simply by sending a brief reply that answers their request or question first. This is known in the written world as the RSVP. If you must decline an invitation, do so directly.
2. Try not to use ALL CAPS. Would you listen to someone if they were shouting at you? That is what it seems like if you use all capital letters in your e-mail. There are very few situations where you would need to use all caps, unless the situation you need to describe is urgent. 3. Do not forward unnecessary e-mails. Sending jokes, chain e-mails, and other e-mail forwards just clogs up your friend's in-box. In addition, it may pass on a malicious virus that could be embedded in the forward. If you know a great joke, tell your friend in person, or give him or her a call! 4. Be sure to spell check your e-mail before sending. Grammar and spelling rules are not just for the classroom. Just think of it as a way to be clearly understood online. If you handed in a report to your teacher with misspellings, typos, and missing punctuation, you'd probably receive a poor grade. So make it a habit to make your e-mails clear and easily understood. Most e-mail programs have a spell checker, so it's very easy to click a button to check for mistakes. 5. Be careful using the "reply to all" button. "Reply to all" does exactly what it says: it sends a reply to all the people on the e-mail list. So in this case, you have to think carefully: Do you really need to send your reply to everyone on the list? Chances are, you do not. In many e-mail programs, the "reply" button and the "reply to all" button may be just next to each other. So be careful where you click! 6. Keep your e-mails personal, but don't write a novel. If you are writing an e-mail to Grandma, feel free to make it as long and poetic as possible. But otherwise, keep e-mails short and to the point. With homework, after-school activities, and other things keeping us busy, it's hard to spend hours online reading e-mail.
7. Edit your subject line. The subject line of your e-mail should be related to the content of the e-mail. This gives the recipient an advance look at the e-mail itself. Think of the subject line as the main point you want to convey in your e-mail. Be specific. 8. Keep your attachments to a minimum. Attachments take time to download.
9. Casual is fine, but remember to be polite. The tone of your e-mail is important. A relaxed or casual tone is fine with friends, but other situations may need a more refined tone. Avoid sending angry e-mails, even if someone has sent you one. Avoid using too many exclamation points because it tends to resemble shouting. Also avoid the use of popular abbreviations; just spell out what you want to say. 10. E-mails are forever. Once you send an e-mail, it's going to be hanging around cyberspace for a long time. Even if you delete it from your Sent box, it will remain in the in-box of others. Then again, deleting it from your computer doesn't really mean it's gone forever. The e-mail servers that maintain our e-mail accounts contain records of what we've been sending and receiving for years. In other words, be careful what you're sending out there!