2. Respectful customs
There are no 'official' rules
governing electronic
communication. However, there
are some commonly agreed polite
or respectful customs in practice.
This is what we mean when we say
‘etiquette’.
Email (as a professional tool) is quite distinct from the
informality of mobile texting.
Image: (adapted) commons wikimedia
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3. The Subject Field
Always fill in the
subject field with a
concise description
of the content of
your email.
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4. Subject line suggestions
• Unit name
• Your name
• Reference to the issue or task
Examples:
TEP021_JohnBrown_Activity 2.4
TEP021_JBrown_Issue logging on
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5. Avoid using all capital
letters and, equally
important, don’t use all
small (lower) case letters
in the subject field.
Lazy behaviour could
result in your email
being blocked by spam
filters.
Avoid using Hi, Help or
Please Respond, or even
the recipient’s name.
Image from FallingFifth.com
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6. Opening and closing
Opening your email:
Hello / Hi / Dear ….
followed by the name of the person you are emailing
Closing your email:
• Regards
• Kind / Warm / Best regards
• With thanks and regards
• Sincerely
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7. Keep the thread
When replying to an email, use the reply
option in your email
program.
This will keep the
message in the
"thread", and make it
easier for the recipient
to follow the subject
matter.
Image: from jpallan FlickrCC
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8. Orient your reader
Don't assume the recipient knows (or will remember) the
background of the matter. Include enough information at the
beginning of the e-mail for the recipient to orient themselves.
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9. Keep it concise
Keep messages brief and to
the point, but not so brief that
the reader doesn’t have the
facts.
This includes deleting any
irrelevant text when an email
has been back and forth several
times.
Image: What’s the point by nosemeat FlickrCC
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10. Don't shout at people
Don't use all capital
letters (UPPERCASE) or
overdo punctuation like
!!!!!!.
If you must use
UPPERCASE, use it only
to emphasise a
particularly important
point.
Image: Shouting by Sebastiaan ter Burg FlickrCC
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11. Avoid emotional outbursts
Don't send or reply
to an email when
you are angry or
upset about
something. Wait
until you have
calmed down, then
compose the email.
Once written and
sent, an email can't
be recalled.
Image: Angry Anne by josh janssen FlickrCC
As a guide, ask yourself –
'would I say this to the person's face?'
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12. Use spacing
Layout your message
for readability.
Use spaces and
breaks between
paragraphs. Use
short sentences to
make it easier on the
reader.
Image: bifocals and words by muffett FlickrCC
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13. Keep it simple
Do you really need to use
coloured text and
background images in your
day to day communications?
Your colour and formatting
choices may make your
emails difficult to read.
Fancy formatting is not
usually appropriate for
professional correspondence.
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14. Acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons.
It is OK to use acronyms and
abbreviations in e-mails as long as
you don't overdo it. People outside
of your organisation may have no
idea what you mean.
Image: We need more acronyms by cogdogblog FlickrCC
Emoticons can be useful to emphasise
feelings in personal communications
but are not always appropriate in
professional communications.
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Image: Shout emoticon Wikimedia
15. Proofread your email before sending
Always
• spell check your email
• proofread for errors
• capitalize your sentences
• use appropriate punctuation
• check your grammar.
Image: Passing Time by HikingArtist FlickrCC
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16. Reply as soon as possible
Get in the habit of replying
promptly – it’s the polite thing
to do, and the recipient will
appreciate a quick response.
Replying promptly also makes
you look efficient. The longer
you leave it, the more likely
you will forget.
Image: FlickrCC
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17. Email is not confidential
It’s very easy for the
contents of your email to
be read by others
without your knowledge.
It’s wise not to include
any confidential
information in your
emails, such as your bank
account information or
password.
Image: Confidential by mynetx FlickrCC
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18. ‘Reply All’
Don't use the Reply
to All option unless
necessary. Evaluate
and send only to
those people who
really need to see
the email.
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19. Being respectful of others’ privacy
Use the Bcc field when sending bulk
email. The Bcc field means that the
email addresses are not visible.
Privacy of individuals is respected and
spammers cannot harvest the email
addresses for other purposes.
If you can’t see the Bcc field when
you create a new email, click on ‘cc’
and your address book will open to
show the Bcc field
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20. Using the priority tag tool
Avoid marking
an email 'high
importance'
when it is just
normal priority.
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21. Return Receipt Request (RR)
Do not use
Request a
Read Receipt
for each and
every email
you send.
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22. Allow time for a reply
E-mail messages are not
usually required to be
answered immediately,
though it is good practice if
you do.
Before sending a reminder,
allow some time for a
response, even a few days.
Not everyone is online 24
hours a day.
Image: Clock 11-20 Wikimedia Commons
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23. Furthermore…
Do not forward chain letters (regardless
of how noble the topic may seem), virus
warnings or anything that says "forward
to everyone you know”.
Don’t worry about breaking the “chain”.
There is no such thing as “chain” in
emails. Therefore, there are no
consequences whether you “break” it or
not.
Image: Chain of People by HikingArtist FlickrCC
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24. Illegal Activities
Harmful or nasty
Illegal activities include
• libel (defamatory statements)
• discrimination (racial, sexual, religious,
ageist etc)
• some adult material (child or violent
erotica)
• illegal information (how to kill or injure
people, incitement to violence, racial
hatred etc).
Strong sanctions brought against them by the
University and by the civil authorities.
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encouragement
Official control;
legal action
