10 E-mail Etiquette Resolutions for 2009

It’s that time of year — time to make your resolutions. I’ve been online helping folks for over 14 years now and there are still some issues that onliners struggle with or, to be honest, refuse to embrace. This year’s 10 Resolutions are actually issues I see neglected on a daily basis.

1. I will refrain from using bold or red text to reflect emphasis in my e-mail’s tone. Doing so leaves the level of emphasis up to the other side which can cause misunderstandings. Instead I will choose my words carefully to reflect my intent and meaning.
2. I will not forward e-mails that say “forward to all your friends” because I know by forwarding an e-mail to a bunch of people really is not personal and carries no special meaning at all. If I find the message pertains to my “friends”, I will send a copy to each one individually with a personal note about why I am forwarding them that message. Now that’s thoughtful!
3. I will not list all my contacts in the To: or Cc: field. This will expose their addresses to strangers and is a serious breach of privacy and trust. When e-mailing a group of people that do not know each other, I will always use the BCc: field.
4. I will start every e-mail with a nice greeting and sign off with a closing and my name. One sentence e-mails without these efforts are perceived as demanding, terse and/or rude.
5. I will never send unannounced large attachments without first asking if the person on the other side would be interested in what the attachments contain and when would be the best time to send them so they can keep their inbox clear.
6. I will continually work on my writing and communication skills so that my e-mails are not misunderstood or disregarded. Lack of spell checking, grammar and proper sentence structure reflects a lack of education or concern about being taken seriously.
7. I will always check my junk or trash folder to see if any e-mails were filtered there by mistake before I send off follow-ups or e-mails insinuating lack of response from those I am communicating with.
8. I will ensure the Subject: field of every e-mail is clear and concise about the topic of my communication and will make the effort to change the Subject: field when the conversation changes focus.
9. I will make a point of thanking those who help me via e-mail. Whether it be a Web site, Blog, discussion board or friendly Netizen who answers my questions or offers assistance when I e-mail them, I will thank them and let them know their efforts on my behalf are truly appreciated.
10. I will configure my e-mail program to reflect my proper name in the From: field. First Name, Last Name; both properly capitalized. Not in all small case; not in all caps. This will help to ensure my e-mails are recognized and look legitimate instead of being misidentified as spam.

It is your choice how to use technology and whether it will hinder or help your communications. How about makings these 10 Resolutions when it comes to your day to day e-mail activities? You can bet those you communicate with will thank you for these additional efforts.

Happy New Year!

Holiday Thank You Cards: A Family Tradition

At this time of the year I see the most serious E-mail faux pas run rampant. Assuming it is O.K. to send “thank you” e-mails for gifts received over the Holidays in lieu of actual thank you cards. Thank uou cards, whose use seems to be on the decline due to overall lack of manners in our culture, are not to be replaced by e-mail.

Faux Pas? Yep!

faux pas /foʊ ˈpɑ/ [foh pah] a slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion.

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Holiday eStress Syndrome

The Holidays are in full swing! With that comes the pressure and stress of all the Holiday issues that hit us every year. Visiting inlaws and outlaws, entertaining details, gift buying, business and personal responsibilities colliding, Holiday cards and the list goes on.

In my experience, many begin to type in an abrupt manner in their e-mails when they get stressed with a tone that is snippy and snotty. Many times this intonation comes from not taking the time to include all those little details we talk about here (greeting, closing, TIA!, proper sentence structure and grammar to name a few).

I see it building. Busy folks, with too much on their plates, whipping off e-mails with their thought or emotion of the moment and neglecting E-mail Etiquette. The e-mails are condescending, dictatorial and some even downright rude because the sender is stressed out.

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Take Caution When Posting Your Holiday Plans

At this time of year many folks go away for the holidays or are using up vacation time which means they will not be available by e-mail or to participate in their social networks. So, we engage our vacation messages or away messages to keep folks aware of our status. A new component is onliners posting on their MySpace, Facebook, etc. pages that they will be out of town, away for two weeks, etc.

Think about it… These social sites are, for the most part, accessible by anyone. Yes, your goal is to let everyone who knows you or is a “friend” know what you are up to. However, what you may be inadvertently doing is letting those who are less than scrupulous (a.k.a. thieves) know that your home will be available to them for a visit.

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