TOP 10 Rules for E-mail Writing

Top 10 Most Important Rules of Email Netiquette

1. Use Email the Way You Want Everybody to Use It

You have the future, and the present of humankind in your hands — even when you just write an email.

2. Take Another Look Before You Send a Message

Don't send anything you don't want to send.

3. Quote Original Messages Properly in Replies

Make your email replies easy to read and understand by quoting in a smart and useful manner.

4. Be Careful with Irony in Emails

No, really! I mean it. Honestly!

5. Clean Up Emails Before Forwarding Them

Forwarding emails is a great way of sharing ideas, but make sure the original idea is not hidden in obfuscation.

6. When in Doubt, Send Plain Text Email, Not HTML

Not everybody can receive your fancily formatted emails. Some may even react furious. To be safe rather than sorry, send plain text emails only when in doubt.

7. Writing in All Caps is Like Shouting

Don't shout in your emails (and all caps is so difficult to read).

8. Ask Before You Send Huge Attachments

Don't clog email systems without permission.

9. Smileys Should Ring an Alarm

Don't use smileys to say something you should not (and don't intend to) say in emails.

10. Avoid "Me Too" Messages

"Me too" is not enough content, but too much annoyance.