Cyber-Sierra Workshop 2002: E-Mail Power
     

E-Mail 'Netiquette:

|  Start |  Do's |  Don'ts |  Manage |  Outreach |  Spam | 

 

E-Mail Do's:

Netiquette rules are really just a set of suggested guidelines to be followed so as to make use of the Internet as friendly as possible. Effective use of e-mail is a result of good habits.

Create good e-mail habits.
  • Do know your employer's e-mail use rules and record requirements.
    If you work for a government agency, you may be required to save all e-mail correspondence. Set up your e-mail folders to help you manage your e-mail appropriately.
     
  • Do use plain text instead of html messages.
    HTML is pretty, but plain text can be read by all, copied into documents and is generally more useful. Also, security minded people will often limit messages they receive to 'plain text' or 'ASCII' mode because of robot bugs that can be placed in html messages by spammers.
     
  • Do be careful of who is receiving your mail.
    Make sure you have the correct person. Keep your address book updated.
     
  • Do use upper and lower case where appropriate.
    UPPERCASE may be used to HIGHLIGHT. Typing an entire message in uppercase is considered equivalent to SHOUTING!
     
  • Do be neat, check spelling and grammar.
    Your e-mail correspondence reflects your professionalism, competence and ability to use the technology appropriately.
     
  • Do use the Subject line creatively to summarize content.
    The subject line encourages your contact to read your e-mail right away. Some people get hundreds of e-mails a day, so make yours stand out!
     
  • Do be brief.
    Messages should be short and to the point if at all possible.
     
  • Do save copies and get receipts for critical messages.
    If the message is important, get an electronic receipt and send yourself a copy (and file it), too.
     
  • Do create a text "signature" file.
    The footer on your outgoing e-mail is a useful place to advertise your upcoming events or current issues in addition to listing your contact information. VBS cards can be used to transmit viruses so many people will not open such a card.
     
Your Name
youremail@yourdomain.com

webs: 
http://www.cyber-sierra.com/
http://www.cyber-sierra.com/nrjobs/
http://www.conservationgrants.com/
  • Do use the 'bcc' (blind carbon copy ) feature.
    Nobody needs to scroll through long lists of the other people to whom you sent your message. Plus, people receiving long lists of active addresses may use them for other purposes.
     
  • Do remember your e-mail may get forwarded to strangers.
    Your e-mail correspondence may be go beyond your original mailing list, just by people forwarding it along. Plan for that by providing enough information in your messages so that someone new to your cause can get more information.
     
  • Do sign off from e-lists if you are going to be gone.
    Otherwise your mailbox will overload and you'll get nasty notes from your web hosting service.
     
  • Do be aware of file size.
    Plain text messages take up the least space and shortest time to transmit. Avoid attachments, but if you must send an attachment, check the file size before transmission to avoid overloading your recipient's inbox and warn them it's coming.
     

Reference Sites:

  • E-mail Netiquette
    By Chris Pirillo. Certain unspoken conventions are very important to keep in mind when you're composing e-mail messages. If you were a novice before, you need to be a professional now.
     
  • E-Mail Etiquette
    This is not a "how-to" document, but rather a document that offers advice to make you more computer-worthy and to prevent you from embarrassing yourself at some point in the near future.
     
  • One Northwest: Putting Email to Work
    One Northwest is an environmental advocacy center with extensive information on writing action alerts, various e-mail tutorials, encryption information and much more. They have a wealth of useful, proven ideas for electronic outreach activities.
     
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