E-mailing - DO and DONT'S

Did you know your emails can be used as a proof in a court for or against you? Kama huamini, muulize Bill Gates akusimulie.

"Bill Gates wasn't thinking about that when he sent messages to Microsoft executives in 1996 discussing the need for the company to increase its share of the Web browser market. Two years later, he had to explain his written statements under oath when the federal government accused the company of violating antitrust laws when it crushed Netscape in the Web browser market". Ziada, soma: Information Week

...about email etiquette. They are guidelines that help avoid mistakes (like offending someone when you don't mean to) and misunderstandings (like being offended when you're not meant to). These core rules of email netiquette help us communicate better via email.

1. Use Email the Way You Want Everybody to Use It. Construct your e-mail messages with careful consideration of who will be reading them and how the readers are likely to respond to the messages’ content and tone — indeed, keep in mind that messages can be forwarded and/or photocopied, and shared with others than the intended audience.
2. DON’T send personal information in an email. Email is NOT secure.
3. Make your email replies are easy to read and understand by quoting in a smart and useful manner. Double-Space between Paragraphs: some “white space” between paragraphs makes it easier for your readers to identify and remember your points of information.
4. Be Careful with Irony in Emails. No, really! I mean it. Honestly!
5. Clean Up Emails Before Forwarding Them. Keep the Message Short. Give links. Many readers lose patience with and interest in long messages; so, when possible, limit them to only a few paragraphs, or open with a summary paragraph that communicates the essential information — i.e., assume all of the readers will not get to the end of any long messages.
6. Consider Send Plain Text Email, Not HTML format. Not everybody can receive your fancily formatted emails. Limit Creativity. Strictly limit the use of color, unusual typeface (including over sized font), and other devices to spice-up your messages; your readers receive many messages each day and expect (and want) to have the information delivered succinctly, simply, and without distraction.
7. Writing in All Caps is Like Shouting. It is considered rude. Don't shout in your emails (and all caps is so difficult to read).ONLY use upper case for emphasis.
8. Ask Before You Send Huge Attachments. Don't clog email systems without permission.
9. Avoid "Me Too" Messages. "Me too" is not enough content, but too much annoyance. Support the cause in a more constructive way by contributing directly and If you receive a chain letter, even one that purports to support a good cause, DON’T send it on to every person. Forwarding emails is a great way of sharing ideas, but make sure the original idea is not hidden in obfuscation.
10. Take Another Look Before You Send a Message. Don't send anything.

The last one: If you receive an email containing a warning about a virus, DON’T send it to everyone you know. While your intentions may be good, you are in fact spamming other people’s mail boxes and adding to a growing problem of email hoax messages.