Netiquette and Email...

In today's world the internet is changing everything we do. We no longer run to the flower shop, but order our flowers off 1-800-FLOWERS.com and have them sent. Though convenient and time saving, there are a few important rules to remember while using this technology.

People are becoming more and more impersonal in the emails they send. We need to remember that there is a person behind the computer we're corresponding with. A great question to ask yourself when emailing is, “Would I say this to the person’s face?” If not, then don’t write it. It is so easy for messages to be misconstrued and problems to evolve over simple misunderstandings. Being simple and to the point in emailing is a great way to prevent such issues .

When sending emails, companies need to reply to customers quickly and in a personal manner. The person you email may never physically meet you, therefore the only impression you have to give is over the messages they receive. It’s important to be professional and personal. Emoticons and using all capital letters is a NO. Always remember, email is physically written and once sent, is not easily erased. Be careful to avoid flaming or any kind of language that could hold you or your company responsible in law suite.

I think everyone can in some way or another improve their email etiquette. For me personally I need to do better at responding in a timely manner. I don’t want my time to be wasted with emails that are irrelevant or not useful, and I try to remember the same for the person I’m writing. Answering all questions asked in emails I receive is another important feature I’m going to improve upon. Listing out a response will help me stay organized and assure that I haven’t missed any questions.

For more information on email etiquette go to:
- http://www.emailreplies.com/
- http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html