Email Etiquette

In polite company there are some etiquette essentials in using Email. Here is an incomplete list:

Always promptly respond to personal email. Never leave a person wondering if you got the message or not. This does not apply to spam or junk email.
If the normal response in person would have been “thank you” - - then send an email with the same message.
Refrain from using ALL CAPS in your text. That is the equivalent of shouting!
Never use all lower case. That is the equivalent of whispering.
Always use proper punctuation and grammar, and always run a spell check!
Always give your message a descriptive Subject. If you Reply to or resend a message, but your message will be about something entirely different, change the Subject to reflect what your message is about.
Refrain from using exotic backgrounds or graphics in your email. Some of these are kinda cutsy but reflect on your own credibility when you use them. I recently received one in which every punctuation mark was a graphic. I almost could not read the message.
If you must have an automatic signature - - keep it simple. No one likes to be “preached to” in their email.
Absolutely do not add someone to your email forwarding list without asking them first. Just think what my In-box would look like if all of you added me to your email forward list. Don't be offended if someone asks you to remove them from your list.
Help your readers find your message! When you forward an email which has been forwarded many times before reaching you, clean up the mess. Erase the baggage of previously-used addresses and those "> > > > > > > > >" strings. Avoid making your readers hunt through the clutter for the gem you have to share!
Keep the size of any attachments (especially graphics) to an absolute minimum. Remember that there are still lots of people out there with slow dial-up modems. I must personally apologize for violating this myself from time to time.
Be caring and loving in your responses to people. Remember that all of us are God’s Kids and are bound in a special connectional covenant. Always direct your comments about the issue and not the person.

Points of Email EtiquetteArkansas United Methodist Emailnetwork

Points of Email Etiquette
Arkansas United Methodist Emailnetwork