Email etiquette

I just received an email from someone I don’t know, in a language I don’t recognize.  I was stunned coz I received it in my practically new email that I only give to my family and close friends.  I couldn’t believe I’m already getting spam.  But when I looked at the email closely, it was from one of my aunt’s German friends who used ‘Reply to All’ when he/she responded to my aunt’s email.  Somebody needs to go over the email etiquette guidelines again.

Here are some tips that are most important to me:

• Please use BCC when emailing a number of people especially when they don’t know each other.
• Please do not ‘Reply to All’ either, especially when you don’t know all the recipients.
• Please do not send chain letters.  If you believe in them, you can send them to me but make sure you put a WARNING in the subject.  Even the few seconds of opening them and learning what they are is a waste of time.  Time nowadays is a precious commodity.
• In email conversations (when emailers email back and forth about the same subject) especially with my clients, please include the original message if possible.  Since my email is not capable of “conversations” view, the inclusion of the original message makes it a lot easier for me.
• Please do forward jokes

Click here for a complete list of email etiquette rules at EmailReplies.com.