1. Email Etiquette

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What is Email Etiquette?
• Etiquette is defined as the rules
governing socially acceptable behavior
• Applied to email – ‘virtual’ behavior
• Also applies to
– Chat
– Message Boards

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Why?
• Most people use electronic
communication
• May be your only communication with an
individual
• Project a professional attitude
• Efficiency

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Format
• Email Address
• Address person you are sending to
• Message length
• One subject per message
• HTML vs. Plain Text

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Sending Messages
• Auto-Completion
• CC and BCC
• Subject
• Jokes and Chain letters
• Virus warnings

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Replying
• Reply vs. Reply All
• Including the original message
• Replying to a list or group
• Auto-Replies – also known as vacation
rules

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Attachments
• Size
• Format
• Is it necessary?
• Is the recipient expecting it?
• Alternatives

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General
• Message Tone
– Pleasantries
– WRITING IN ALL CAPS
– Excess Punctuation
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Abbreviations

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• High Priority
• Signatures
• Opinions – also known as flaming
• Respond promptly

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Email shouldn’t be used for !
• Discipline
• Grades
• Conflict resolution

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Going for consensus:
• Understand other people’s views from their point of
view.
• Find conclusion which satisfies every one rather
than expressing yourself.
• Genuine consensus is different from suppressing
your views in favor of a majority view. Don’t lose
the main benefits of a group, which is having
multiple perspectives on the same issue.
• Those who disagree strongly should stick to their
ideas.

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Practical communication principles
(PCPs).
• PCP1: Thank, acknowledge and support people freely.
Ex1: I like your comment Ex2: I agree with so. Ex3: Thanks…
– In computer conference, you cannot see other people nod their
heads smile or greet you. If you don’t receive an
acknowledgement of a message, you feel ignored. People should
know that they have been appreciated.
• PCP2: Acknowledge before differ.
Ex1: what I think you mean? Ex2: Have I got that right? Ex3: my own view
differs as follows.
– If you disagree with someone. Start by briefly restating what the
other person has said. The person then knows that you are trying
to understand him, and is thus in a better position to take your
view seriously.

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• PCP3: Speak from your own perspective:
Ex1: here’s how I see? Ex2: how I feel about?
- You can present other views with a direct quote like:
“ As so and so said in ex. “.
- Don’t generalize: Ex: “ it is a fact that … “
- If something is put as an absolute, there is no room for
anyone else’s perspective.

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Avoid ‘flaming spirals’:
• Sometimes someone will be offended at someone else’s
message, where no offensiveness was intended, and
therefore they would reply angrily.
• The first person may then respond angrily and so on,
leading to an increasing spiral of abuse. This can easily
happen in computer conference (no facial expression).
• The best solution for people involved is to affirm that
they had not intended to offend and they understand
the other’s point of view.

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On emotions in messages:
• Emotions can easily be misunderstood when you can’t
see faces or body language. People may not realize you
are joking.
• There are conventions for saying ‚ this is a joke‛ or
expressing your feeling. They are called ‚ smileys ‚ or
emotions.
• Ex1: I’m joking! 8- ).
• Ex2: -) smile.
• Ex3: 8- ( I’m feeling sad.
• Writing capital letters means shouting.

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Where to write what:
• Before you send a message, check that it is addressed to the
most appropriate place.
General style:
• Keep messages short. If you have something longer to say,
put it in a word processor file and then attach it to a short
message.
• Take the subject line seriously and make sure it is clear.
• People see subject line before the content of a message and
may use it to decide whether or not to read the message.

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Legal issues:
• If you are copying something written by
someone else, put it in quotation marks.

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Thank You 