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Email etiquette

by Barbara Feldman
'Netiquette': the unwritten Internet rules. Here's a rundown of the top three ways to make your email elegant and effective

Don't use ALL CAPS
On the Net, it's considered SHOUTING when you use all caps. Typographers have long known that proper capitalization makes text easier to read. So don't be rude, use the proper case. Your email will be easier to read – and quieter too.

Use an appropriate subject line
While it might be nearly impossible to handle 200 phone calls a day and still get anything else accomplished, many people get hundreds of email messages a day. To improve the odds of your message being handled correctly (or even read at all) be sure to use a short and appropriate subject line such as ‘Dinner on Thursday' or 'Conference Schedule'. If you don't use a subject line or use an inappropriate one, you run the risk of your mail being overlooked.

Don't put a long list of addresses in the TO: or CC: field
With privacy concerns at an all time high and unsolicited commercial email (known as spam) rampant, it's considered impolite and naive to place a large recipient list in the TO: or CC: field of your email. Instead, use the blind carbon copy (BCC:) field, where no one but you will see the address list. For example, you can use the BCC to send your clients an email announcement of an upcoming business event. This way your client list remains private (your competitors won't see it) and you show respect for your clients' privacy as well.

As every good rule has its exceptions, here is an example of when you may want to put your distribution list in the TO: or CC: fields. When emailing a SMALL group of people who already know each other (but may not have everyone's email address) and who will want to respond to the group as a whole, you can place your distribution list in the TO: field. To decide whether this applies or not, first ask yourself, 'Do I want or need to give this email list to everyone in the group?'

If you have a long list (clients, subscribers, club members) an alternative to the blind carbon copy is a free list service. These services have several advantages. You can keep your list private, yet individual members can reply to the whole list. You don't have to tie up your computer to send to each recipient, and individual members can join and cancel on their own, without your intervention. The cost of this free service is a small advertisement (usually one or two lines) appended to each message. For more information about free list services check out eGroups.com.



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Created: 19/02/2004  Updated: 19/02/2004
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