Email Netiquette

• You should probably consider any message as permanent and that you have very little control over who will see it. The message may lay dormant for quite awhile on someone’s computer until someday someone resurrects it. It may not have been anything you would have wanted anyone else to see. Remember this the next time you send an email.
• It’s always possible that a message can be misinterpreted, causing the recipient to react negatively. Email doesn’t allow for immediate personal feedback. Be succinct and avoid responding while emotional. If you have to be emotional, use some of the "emoticons" listed below.
• To avoid receiving a computer virus, proceed with caution when opening an attachment (a binary or executable file) to the email. If you do not know the sender or were not expecting the attachment, find out who is sending it and what it is first. Remember, though, that most attachments serve a purpose, so don’t be overly hasty to delete the message. Likewise, if you’re sending an attachment let the recipient know what it is.
• Commonly used acronyms in email messages are: BTW – by the way; F2F– Face to face; FWIW – For what it’s worth; FYA – for your amusement; FYI – for your information; HHOK – Ha ha only kidding; IOW – in other words; IMHO – in my humble opinion; LOL – laughing out loud; TIA – Thanks in advance; TNX – thanks. (Don’t overuse these.)
• Commonly used emoticons in email messages are: :-) Happy; :-( Sad; :-|| Really Angry; :-(o) Yelling; :-D Laughter; ;-) Winking; :-} Grinning; :-o Shocked or Amazed; :-& Tongue-tied; :-# My lips are sealed;
  ;-( Feel like crying; :-o Shocked or amazed; :-* Kiss; X- Brain dead; :-P Sticking tongue out. (Don’t overuse these either.)
• Case sensitivity doesn’t usually matter in an email address as it does in a URL or Internet address. ie., johndoe @tpcug.org is the same as JohnDoe@TPCUG.org.
• Make sure to always include a subject line. That will make sure the message gets read and if it’s forwarded to others they will be able to understand the subject matter. Be creative!
• Try to limit your line character length to 65. Some email programs wrap at the wrong place which causes the email to be really hard to read.
• If you quote part of the message in your response edit out unnecessary verbiage and include your reply at the beginning of your message.
• Create a signature file to be added to all outgoing messages. Signature lines are the letterhead (or rather letter-footer) of your email message. Almost every modern email program allows you to create a signature file that typically includes 5-10 lines of contact information about you or your company which is automatically appended to each message you send.
• DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. This is perceived as shouting.
• Don’t send entire web pages. Just the link to the page will do.
• Don’t attach files larger than 50k without permission from the recipient.
• Always read over your email before sending it and use a spellchecker when possible.
• And last, but not least, sometimes a telephone call will work much better than email. Know when to post… and when to call! u