Email etiquette

If you're amused by this folklore and want to pass it on, please, please be absolutely sure that the people you are sending it to will be as amused as you are.

Don’t send anything confidential
Email, as a medium, is about as private as a postcard. Before it lands on your computer, it travels through dozens of other computers as it bounces around the Infobahn. Even after you delete it from your mailbox, it still can be recovered from your computer and others. Don't send anything in an email that you wouldn't write on a postcard. Ask yourself, would you want your boss, your best friend, your partner or a jury to see it?

If you have a need to send secure email, one simple and free solution is the shareware product Pretty Good Privacy.

Spell check your email
Review and spell check your email before hitting 'Send' because first impressions count, and typos just add confusion to your message. Was that a 'no' or a 'now'?

Now that you've set up your return address with both your real name and your email address, double check for typos. One of my pet peeves is getting email returned to me when I use the 'Reply to Sender' function. Imagine receiving a question from a reader, taking the time to research the topic and crafting a reply and then NEVER BEING ABLE to send the response to the reader who asked because their return address is inaccurate. Annoying.