Rules of Email Etiquette

Do you receive emails that have < symbols or a continuous | down the left side? This is because the sender has the email settings set wrong. However, there are email clients that force these symbols. It's up to the sender to clean up the message.
When you open the email do you see a large block of email addresses? This is because the sender didn't clean up the message.
The commission of this major email faux pas is far too common. Well meaning senders pretend they are computer illiterate when, in fact, they are merely lazy.
One minute you hit Forward on some easily non-offensive, cute, humorous email to your personal e-list one minute, and you're getting "the look" and catty comments at the office the next. Your friends sent on your message without cleaning it up, and your header is on the top of every one, and even if you did obey all the rules of netiquette, everyone who received the message will know it originated from you. Cyberspace as a casual arena where anything can be said and done for laughs, but as email becomes the more popular communication form 'in lieu of' the written word, it’s important to choose your words, and recipients, wisely. So before you hit the send, make sure you pay attention to what you are doing.

1. Don't use the 'Reply All' unless you really intend that every person on that list is to read the message personally. Be also aware that there will be people receiving the email that you don't intend for them to receive it, and you won't know they have received it until their fire is breathing down your neck. This is because when you click on "Reply All" it will also reply to the BCC list that was originally sent. These are addresses you can't see, they are hidden, but the sending will get to them.

2. The BCC means 'Blind Carbon Copy' and is exactly what it means. If you BCC to a list of people who don't see the other addresses and forward it to their addresses only to find that the content is such that one of their BCC lists shouldn't have seen it, you might be in dutch.

3. When you hit any of the Reply, Reply All, or Forward buttons you will see all the headers of every person who forwarded or replied to it before you. It's trash. It's ugly. It tells your recipients that you are lazy and that you don't care to take the time to show them due respect.

4. Avoid the use of casual symbols. Whether you are hiding your cursing with %*@* this or $&@#, or using @ instead of 'at', # instead of 'number', or $ instead of 'dollars', it shows you are just being lazy and careless. No kind of cursing is ever excusable. It shows you as lazy, uneducated, or unintelligent. The same rule applies for emoticons. The cutzy :) smileys and acronyms (LOL, BTW, TTYL) are unnecessary and show that you disrespect your recipients by not taking the communication seriously.

5. Don't use all caps. You can emphasize in almost any email client with italics, bold or underline. You can encase in *asterics* in all other cases. Even the >reversed< pointed brackets is preferable to shouting.

6. If you receive a forward about some sort of news story or some other type of story, take the time to check it. Snopes.com is not perfect, but it is one of the better resources to prove stories. Snopes usually gets the story before anyone else, and they have the resources to get the responses necessary to relate the facts. Better yet, when the definite 'yes' or 'no' isn't available, they will say so, and tell you why.

7. Watch your grammar. No one is perfect in English, and English is not perfect in grammar, but that's no excuse to be sloppy. Even whey your boss plays fast and loose with grammar, it will be in your better benefit to be your best. If you write often in your work, take the initiative to take Community College English, Literature, and Grammar courses. The same rule applies to spelling. Take the time to type on an editor that uses a spell checker, and use it. They still publish dictionaries and there are several dictionaries online.

8. Respond properly. The rule of thumb is to respond within 24 hours. Even if you say "I received your email. Please understand that I have numerous correspondence to address. I will have an answer for you as soon as possible." Then make it a point to respond with a good answer within 48 hours. Another part of being professional is to respond properly. It is true that many people are lazy with correspondence. Many emails from your inbox should reply with a phone call, a card, or a visit to the person's office.

9. The same rule applies for punctuation. Lacking or errant punctuation is as lazy as unnecessary shorthand. The English language is rife with exceptions to its rules. Even so, there are basic standards. When in doubt, stick to the rules. One of the most violated rules is the exclamation point. Unless there is significant emotion, a period will suffice. The exclamation point has been abused to the point that when one needs that point, multiple points are used to get the intended effect.

10. Limit attachments to one or two. The cute photos of your playful puppy or your cute grandson are sharable to all those interested, but loading down, slowing down, or crashing someone's computer with 8 large attachments is more than unwelcome.

11. Keep it brief. Email is all about quick correspondence. If you're all about writing a nice, long letter, write a nice, long letter. Email is not about a 1,000 word opus.

12. If you need to send a Thank You for a job well done, a gift, or a special favor, send a Thank You Card.  No email would reflect your sincere gratitude as much as taking the time to purchase the card, write your note, address the envelope, lick the stamp and send it off.

13. Respect. Answer letters with letters, and phone calls with phone calls. Limit how many emails you send to your friends. How many friends do you have in your list? Imagine all those friends sending emails to everyone on that list, and everyone on that list sending the same to everyone on their lists. If they have common friends, they all will get multiple copies of the same email. And you can multiply all that by the number of friends who forward emails frequently.

Beth Levine of Woman's Day writes:
Five Non-negotiables: Never…

1. Check email when you’re with other people. Or text, IM or check your PDA . Unless it’s your kid letting you know something is wrong, when you choose technology over your companions, you’re telling them they aren’t important to you. And that’s just plain rude.
2. Email a condolence note or a group thank-you note. Some things will always call for individual, heartfelt attention that shows some effort.
3. Forward political or religious rants. Unless it’s the focus of the conversation at hand or you are sure the recipient is interested, don’t send it. No one was ever converted by forwarded proselytizing. In fact, it’s a great way to lose friends and not influence them.
4. Snoop through your loved one’s email. “Reading your husband’s or kids’ emails without their permission is a major breach of trust,” says Chris Brogan. “If you have trust issues, sit down and talk with them— don’t sneak around behind their backs.” The only time you can check out your kid’s correspondence is if you believe she’s in imminent danger of some sort, such as communicating with someone she doesn’t know.
5. Send anything racy on your business account. Off-color messages can be construed as creating a hostile work environment, and open you to dismissal. (You may want to think twice about sending “adult content” through your personal account, too. You just never know.)