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Netiquette

E-mail is moving into the mainstream. In some companies, the e-mail message has replaced the memo completely. Some nursing homes have computers with e-mail capability so that elderly residents can keep in touch with friends and family. It is likely that much of your correspondence will be in the form of e-mail in the future (if it isn't already), and learning the conventions of e-mail will help you to communicate clearly and effectively in this medium.

Netiquette is a social agreement that allows a diverse range of people and personalities to function effectively. If you always keep in mind that you are sending your messages to people, not computers, then you can avoid some of the faux pas that occur in electronic communication. In addition, some netiquette gaffes can be avoided by being sensitive to your recipient's computer capability. Files or attachments that take minutes to download on an ISDN line could take hours to download at 14.4 kbps.

Here are some basic considerations when communicating via e-mail:

• Don't send large files if you are not sure your recipient can receive them expeditiously.
• Use regular mixed case in your writing. Writing in capital letters is the equivalent of SHOUTING online. You can use asterisks to show emphasis, and use an underscore _ at the beginning and end of something you want to underline. And some e-mail programs now permit italics and bold print, just like word-processing programs.
• Include a subject line in your messages.
• Include some type of salutation in your messages.
• Be sure to include your name in the message. Most e-mail programs have the ability to design a signature file or address card that can be sent automatically with each of your messages.
• Don't assume your e-mail is private. If you are sending mail from your school or office, your network administrator has access to it. People have lost their jobs by sending inappropriate mail through their company's server.
• Never send an e-mail when you are angry. If you are writing a message containing something negative, save the draft and cool off. Then go back and revise it when you have had time to gain perspective.
• Never give out personal information such as your phone number or address to someone you don't know. Sadly, people aren't always who they seem to be on the Net.

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