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 Indicate the specific topic of your
mail message in the subject field. Clear subject headings make everyone's
lives easier, helping with prioritising, filing, cataloguing,
cross-referencing, and retrieval. It is helpful to avoid using subject headings
that are currently used by viruses as your email may be automatically deleted
by the recipient. To check what subject heading are being used by viruses check
virus information page.
Minimize the appearance of long
distribution lists. To minimize the appearance of long distribution lists,
send your intended email message to yourself (To: yourname@yourcompany.com) and
blind courtesy copy (BCC: recipientsname@theircompany.com) all other recipients
of your email message. Each recipient of your email message will see only his
or her name at the top of the email message.
Don't rush writing your electronic
messages. To organize your thoughts you might want to draft a particularly
important message in a word processor. Use the automated spell-check to make
sure your text is error- free.
Assume the messages you send and
receive are permanent and public. Don't say anything in electronic mail
that you would not want to be made public or forwarded to others. Be aware that
electronic mail might not be as private as you may wish. If confidentiality and
privacy are important, it may be advisable and more appropriate to use other
communication vehicles.
Never create or forward
"chain-letter" email. Forwarding a chain letter has an impact on system
resources and can result in reprimand. It is permissible, however, to send
copies of interesting messages or postings to others--but never chain-letters.
Although electronic mail promises
"instant" delivery, it does not guarantee an instant response! If you are
uncertain of a recipient's electronic mail habits or are not getting any
response to your messages, a phone call may be quicker and more effective.
In a reply, include the relevant
parts of the original message for clarity, but keep the quotations to a
minimum. Otherwise, simply attach the original message.
Refrain from adding too many
attachments to your electronic mail. Large, bulky messages tie up the
network and are difficult to read.
Don't assume that your intentions
will be understood. Remember there isn't body language or facial expression
to convey your intentions. Since there are no visual or auditory cues with
email, users have come up with something called "smilies". They are simple
strings of characters that are interspersed in the email text to convey the
writer's emotions (cues).
Smilie Examples
:-) Smiley
face :-/ Perplexed ;-) Wink (light
sarcasm) :-( Frown (anger or displeasure)
:-| Indifference :-P Wry
smile :-> Devilish grin (heavy sarcasm)
:-e Disappointment 8-) Eye-glasses :-@
Scream :-D Shock or surprise
These smilie expressions are typically found at the
end of sentences and will usually refer back to the prior statement. Use these
expressions sparingly. There are hundreds of these things and their
translations are by no means universal. |
