A Short Primer on e-Etiquette

Useful Email Tips and Techniques

• Use or Update the Subject Line (with 3-4 words or less) to set the context of the message. The intended reader may then select your message from a list of emails.
• Get to the point! But avoid abbreviations - not everyone knows the jargon!
• When replying or forwarding a message, it is usually very helpful to include the last message, and delete all prior messages from the new message.
• Do NOT assume email is private. Even "Confidential" messages can be printed or viewed by others, unless the recipient is very careful about managing messages.
• Humor can make a message interesting, but is inappropriate when it is derogatory, discriminatory, off-color, or offensive to ANYONE.
• Emails, especially in a corporate setting, are almost always a poor place to express emotional material - arrange to meet with someone for that. In a business setting, messages should have a business purpose.
• Do not use Distribution Lists (including options for forward and reply) unless everyone on the selected List really needs to know the content of the message.
• All email packages were not created equally. Keep in mind that some recipients cannot see Boldface, Italics, Color, or Special Font formats.
• Use the Reply button to respond to ONLY the Sender. The sender is listed in the From: area of the email header. Begin a reply by using the REPLY button, and THEN typing your response at the top of the new page, not below the original message!
• NEVER USE "REPLY ALL," unless you truly mean for your response to go to EVERYONE listed in the "To:" and the "Cc:" box in the message header. For example, if you "Reply All:" to "MLH Everyone" the response would be sent to every person with an email address (which is no longer an available address, for just that reason!!)
• To reply to one person in a list, highlight and copy that individual's name using the right mouse button, and then the REPLY button. Highlight the name in the "Send To:" box, right click, and PASTE the new name in the "Send To:" box. Or paste the copied name into a New Message.
• Attached files: you MUST use the Forward feature in Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook to send a file to other people. If you make changes in an attached file, and save the changes, you must FORWARD the message back to the original person; the Reply button assumes the original person already has what was sent and only names the file !!