Email Etiquette

1. Email Etiquette Brought to you by the Purdue University Writing Lab

2. Why is email etiquette important? • We all interact with the printed word as though it has a personality and that personality makes positive and negative impressions upon us. • Without immediate feedback your document can easily be misinterpreted by your reader, so it is crucial that you follow the basic rules of etiquette to construct an appropriate tone.

3. General format Writing long messages Attachments Flaming Electronic Mailing Lists The elements of email etiquette

4. Write a salutation for each new subject email. Try to keep the email brief (one screen length). Return emails within the same time you would a phone call. Check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors Use caps when appropriate. Format your email for plain when replying to emails written in plain text. Use a font that has a professional or neutral look. General Format: The Basics

5. General Format: Addresses • Avoid sending emails to more than four addresses at once. • Instead, create a mailing list so that readers do not have to scroll too much before getting to the actual message. To: maillist4@cs.com

6. Attachments • When you are sending an attachment tell your respondent what the name of the file is, what program it is saved in, and the version of the program.

7. Taking Professors By Surprise • Be sure you have permission to communicate with your professors via email. (You do! J.H.) • Post your concerns or questions in a timely manner. • Put identifying information about the class and the subject in the subject line. (J. H.) DSGN 204 7.1 Web mail & Spam Filtering

8. Flaming is a virtual term for venting or sending inflammatory messages in email. Avoid flaming because it tends to create a great deal of conflict that spirals out of control. Flame fights are the equivalent of food fights and tend to affect observers in a very negative way. What you say cannot be taken back; it is in black and white. Flaming in emails

9. Before you send an email message, ask yourself, “would I say this to this person’s face?” Calm down before responding to a message that offends you. Once you send the message it is gone. Read your message twice before you send it and assume that you may be misinterpreted when proofreading. Keep flaming under control

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