In any kind of human communication or interaction, there is an unwritten code or standards on conducting oneself. We learn these standards by watching and imitating others as we grow up. Communication by e-mail is no exception, but because it is so new relative to other means of communication, many of us have not had the chance to learn about e-mail etiquette. The purpose of this article is not simply to teach good manners, but to help make your use of e-mail effective and efficient. Quick communication does not equal good communication. Here are some ways you can make prodcutive, efficient use of e-mail as a method of communication.

This may seem obvious or it may seem ridiculous, but using an accurate, informative subject line is very helpful to the recipient and to yourself. It gives the recipient an idea of what to expect and enables them to find it quickly in their Inbox when they need to. This is especially helpful to people who send and receive a lot of e-mail. If you receive a reply or want to find the original message in your outbox later you can quickly locate it with an apprpriate subject line. If something is very urgent, you can even begin your subject with URGENT; but beware that this is also a technique used by e-mail marketers.

Use proper capitalization and punctuation

Because e-mail is somewhat less formal than paper communication people sometimes assume that basic grammatical rules don't apply. Let me tell you that it is very difficult and not much fun to read one long paragraph with no capitalization and no punctuation whatsoever. You don't have to use complete sentences but separate statements should begin with a capital and end with a period. Do not write in all uppercase letters because that indicates that you are SHOUTING! Rather than one long paragraph, use more concise paragraphs than you would in paper communication separating each one with a blank line. Indenting is not necessary.

Proofread before you send

Once you send your message, there is no retrieving it. Because e-mail is so quick, people often hurriedly type out a message and send it without taking a minute to read it to make sure there are no missing words and that what you want to say is clear. You also want to make sure you don't say something that you didn't mean to. You're not saving anyone any time if they have to reply or call you to clarify your message.

The number one cause of miscommunication via e-mail is probably humor. It is very difficult to express more subtle kinds of humor that often require facial expressions (rolling the eyes) or voice inflection (sarcasm). They can not be expressed in e-mail as they are in face-to-face or even telephone conversation. There are some abbreviations like LOL (Lots of Laughs) or what are called emoticons like ;) (winking) that you can use to indicate that you think something is funny or that you are joking. Remember that these also depend on the recipient being able to understand them. For a much more detailed article on using emphasis and expression in e-mail visit these articles on intonation and gestures from A Beginner's Guide to Effective E-mail at Webfoot.com.

Most e-mail software like Eudora or Microsoft Outlook will by default put all of the original message at the beginning or end of your reply with some type of separator or symbol at the start of each line to indicate the original message. If the message is brief and just contains one issue there is no problem with just rattling off a quick reply. But often a message will contain several items or issues to respond to. To make your response clear and make sure you answer each question, you can delete all but the basic information about each item and insert your reply after it. Then include the basic information from the next item and insert your reply. An exchange about a newsletter might look something like this:

A Flame is Internet jargon for a strong diatribe towards someone or something. Don't use e-mail to rip into someone just because they are somewhere on the other end of a computer terminal and you don't have to face them. A good rule of thumb is to not write anything in an e-mail that you wouldn't say to their face or over the phone. If you receive an e-mail that angers or offends you, take time to cool off. If you feel that a reply is warranted, respond calmly and politely. Don't forget that miscommunication is common. You may want to ask the sender if they actually meant to say what you heard when you read it. When in doubt, clarify.

Forwarding e-mail is so effortless and easy we often don't think about it before we do it. It's important to consider whether the original sender would want you to forward their message to someone else. It may be best to ask their permission first. When it comes to jokes, funny stories and urban legends, remember that not everyone will be amused by the same things you are. Some people simply receive too many e-mails already and don't have time to sift through less important e-mail. Again, you should ask in advance if they want to be on your forwarding list for humorous messages. And finally, don't ever forward a virus warning until you have confirmed that it is real. Most aren't. Symantec's website lists the latest virus threats and maintains a comprehensive list of virus hoaxes.

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