Email Manners Email can be a powerful communication tool when it is thoughtfully and carefully used. Structure OK? Look for Greeting and closing

Example

Begin your e-mail with a courteous greeting and end it with a courteous closing. If you leave those out, your email can have a demanding tone.

Check spelling Emails with spelling mistakes are simply not taken as seriously. Your email should let your reader know that you took time to check it over to be certain your message is understood.

Format    

Are you using proper sentence structure? Did you capitalize the first word in every sentence and end with appropriate punctuation? Using too many !!! or ??? is perceived as rude. Do not type in all caps. That is makes your reader think you are yelling.

Hi – I wanted to ask you a quick question… Thanks for your help. – Sarah I need some enfourmashun pleese. Wood you please writ back and sind it to me?

Hi – I really need you to look at this article that I wrote!!!! I am not sure I did it right! PLEASE GET BACK TO ME ASAP. why did it take so long to write back last time???? sometimes you are really slow!!!!

Take the time to review each email before clicking Send to be certain your message is clear and you are relaying the tone that you desire.

Think about this

Example

Attachments Never open an attachment from someone you don't know. People hide computer viruses in email attachments. Once you open the attachment your computer can become infected and even unusable.

Forwarding Don't forward emails that tell you to send it to all of your friends. Most are hoaxes and may not be appreciated by those you send it to.

If you send this information to 10 of your friends, good things will happen to you.

Replying

Make sure you do not use the Reply to all unless you are sure you know everyone who received the original email. Do you really want everyone to see your reply? Even though it isn't right, emails are forwarded to others. Keep this in mind when typing about emotional or controversial topics. Think before you Send.