Brandon Aris

LS521 Sp 02

April 17, 2002

E-Mail

Here are some tips for writing effective e-mail messages.

1. Know your audience. If you are writing to a friend it is fine for your language to be informal and conversational. Writing a message to a business or organization should have more polished language and grammar. Use a spell and grammar check, if possible. What you write and send is a permanent record and can be sent to anyone, anywhere.

2. What you write is a reflection of you. When writing and sending a formal message, the receiver often does not know you. What they read might be their first impression of you. Use a spell and grammar check whenever possible before sending your message.

3. Use a brief and pertinent subject line. This lets the receiver know what to expect when they read your message. Using the term URGENT in the subject line for information that is time sensitive can be helpful, as is using the acronym FYI (For Your Information) for information that is not as critical.

4. Be careful when showing emphasis. Do not type text in all capital letters; this can be interpreted by the reader as “shouting” by the writer. Don’t go crazy with punctuation marks to show emphasis either. One or two exclamation marks are sufficient.

5. Don’t overuse acronyms. Not everyone may know what BTW (by the way) or IMO (in my opinion) means. Don’t be lazy, type out the phrase. It is too bothersome for the writer to include a key translating the many acronyms in use today.

6. Use emoticons (smiley faces) when trying to convey a tone of voice. Symbols like these: :) and :-) let the reader know you are trying to use a pleasant tone of voice in your message.

7. Respect the privacy of others. Never use another person’s e-mail id/password to gain access to their e-mail accounts. This is a violation of privacy, and is highly unethical. You would not want someone else to do the same thing to you!

8. Don’t send junk mail. Do not forward chain messages or other insignificant information to others. Junk mail can take up precious available mailbox space on a user’s computer or network. Plus, it can take productive time away from those who have to read through it.

9. Use caution when sending attachments. When sending an attachment file along with an e-mail message, be sure the file has been scanned for viruses and is clean. Infected attachments can cause great damage to those who open them!

10. Always include your signature. When concluding your message it is always a good idea to end with your name (first and last if the receiver does not know you). Just as you would sign a letter, sign your e-mail messages so you will be known to the reader.