Got e-mail manners?

Dear PropellerHeads: What is it about e-mails? People can be so rude. Got anything about e-mail manners?

A: It's always good to be polite... just ask your mom.

E-manners and netiquetteare continually hot topics. This is because as new modes of communication become ubiquitous, folks get comfortable (i.e. careless) with the new technology. Between Lindsay Lohan's tweet update, Cornell's e-mail tell-all, and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's text messages - knowing how to deal with electronic messaging is more and more critical.

For many, e-mail has replaced the letter. Letter-writing has long-standing etiquette practices, but e-mail does not. E-mails are not letters, nor are they text messages or tweets. Letters tend to be more formal and suggest a more permanent record of communication. However, there are probably more similarities than differences between letters and e-mail. Kind of like the way Lady Gaga and Madonna are different, yet the same.

Here are some suggested e-mail practices intended to promote more effective communication, less confusion and a more polite discourse.

Protocol

• E-mail is not a chat. Because e-mails are sometimes conversational, people think they replace conversation. Wrong. They are best used to confirm something, ask for something or to reply with some information. They are generally weak as a persuasive device. Hmmm... I guess I could've said that about BP public relations.

• Always respond, and quickly, at a minimum with

a "thank you" or "I'll get back to you." Not responding to an e-mail can mean that you have decided to ignore it, or that it was never received. With spam filters this is a real possibility. When you ignore an e-mail it sends the same message as ignoring a voicemail - make sure that's what you intended.

• "To:," "CC:," and "BC:" are not the same thing. You should expect responses or action from all of your "To:" recipients. "Reply to All" is almost never appreciated.

• Watch your attachments. Large e-mails (more than 1 megabyte) fill up servers and slow down response times. Large files, executables, zip files, pdfs, and others may not pass through filters. So thanks for the massive picture, but if I want to see what's up with Paris Hilton, I'll watch "Tosh.0."

Format

• Formal is better. That generally means a greeting, opening paragraph, body, and closing. Use full sentences, proper capitalization and minimize casual abbreviations. This can be relaxed a bit with close friends or when simply writing to confirm something. 2 much? txt.

• Sign your e-mails with your name and other contact information. Your e-mail address may not adequately identify you and may not be the best way for your recipient to respond to you.

• Check the spelling in your e-mails before they are sent. Tipe and synd promotez misteakz. I would also suggest proofing before clicking send to ensure you have adequately conveyed your message.

Confidentiality

• Not much is private. Because e-mails are usually not encrypted and get freely forwarded, minimize confidential content. Assume that any e-mail may be read by 6 billion eyes - or is that 12 billion? You don't want a compromising e-mail to burn you when you apply for credit or run for public office.

• Nothing's personal. If you use your company's e-mail server, or even a friend's, you probably have no right to privacy. Be aware that e-mail servers may store copies of your e-mails indefinitely.

Retention

• Keep only what you need. You should periodically clean out your saved items, maybe annually. It's never too early to protect yourself from that lawsuit or audit you didn't see coming. Make sure what you delete is removed from your computer and the mail server.

• Print some. E-mails that are critical to your personal or business affairs should be printed and filed like any other correspondence. But don't get carried away. Printing e-mails kills trees. Don't be that guy.

Think you've got it? Take a netiquette quiz at www.albion.com/netiquette. Also, check out netmanners.com google e-mail courtesy for more on this.

When the PropellerHeads at Data Directions aren't busy with their IT projects, they love to answer questions on business or consumer technology. E-mail them to questions@askthepropellerheads.com or contact us at Data Directions Inc., 8510 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116. Visit our website at www.askthepropellerheads.com.