Mail Manners
Know your E-mail Netiquette

We have compiled a list of important e-mail conventions that would make communicating via the Internet safe and easy.

Use Meaningful Subject Lines
This easy practice will help keep you on good terms with even your most e-mail-swamped friends. Most people prefer to know what the the e-mail is about. A subject line tells you if it's a joke, photographs or some other non-urgent item that can be opened at leisure.

Don't Type Using ALL CAPS
Its been said too many times, but almost everyone finds reading text in all caps annoying. Moreover, this implies screaming online. So even if you're not trying to yell in your online communications, typing in capitals will make most people will think you are.

Quote Select Parts Of A Previous E-Mail
One of the most common breaches of netiquette is repeating entire e-mails or postings when replying only to a small portion. When replying to a long e-mail, it is best to highlight the minimum reference of the previous e-mail to preface your response. This avoids multiple-reply e-mails where the messages get long, unwieldy and impossible to read.

Don't Get Too Attached
Attaching files to e-mail messages is a powerful tool. It can be of great utility or a great nuisance. The first golden rule of sending attachments is to be sure to send virus-free files. A precaution worth taking would be to make sure your recipient knows beforehand the size and type of file you're sending. If you are on the receiving end, don't open any e-mail attachments you're not expecting and don't know the origin of, even if it says, "I LOVE YOU."

Don't Spam
The worst online offense in most people's eyes is an unsolicited commercial e-mail. Don't mistake e-mail as an ideal vehicle for proving the "power of online mass-advertising." With some very powerful anti-spam activists on the prowl, you might regret it.

Don't Pass Around E-Hoaxes
There is a tradition as old as the Internet of passing around bogus virus alerts, unbelievable stories and fake news items. To put it simply, if it sounds too strange to be true, it probably is. If you get an e-hoax, verify it before passing it on. Nothing feels worse than sending your whole company a fake virus warning.

Don't Pass Around Chain Letters
Another thing the Internet would be better off without is e-mail chain letters. They're not cute. Don't send them to your friends. Don't even send them to your enemies.

Don't Use Excessive Signature Files
It can be really useful to have contact information appended to your e-mail messages in a signature file. It is however unnecessary and bad form to use more than four lines for your signature file. Signature files can get very tedious in situations where they are often repeated like newsgroup threads and multiple-reply e-mail discussions. In such cases, omit your signature file after the first use.