E-MAIL
Mailing List Etiquette
Mailing lists are like coffee houses where people gather to discuss relatively well-defined topics.
Using a mailing list effectively requires adhering to a number of ground rules. Most of these are simply conventions of etiquette that have evolved to serve the very simple purpose of saving everybody time and effort. Ignoring these conventions will force others to devote undue time in reading and responding to messages, and many simply will not be willing to take that time.
Seek assistance from experienced users.
Before contributing to a mailing list for the first time, ask for help from someone who knows how. Sending mail to a mailing list is simpler than learning to drive a car, but it's at least as difficult as talking on the phone.
Read first.
Mailing lists are all different. Before posting anything to a list, read its introductory message and read some postings by others in the list as well to get an idea of its general focus.
Remember the person.
Electronic mail is written and read by people. Write messages people will want to read.
Label the message.
Messages without subjects are time-consuming to interpret, difficult to follow, and difficult to file. Use an appropriate Subject: header. When starting a new subject, compose a new Subject: header. If responding to an ongoing thread of conversation, use the same Subject: header and add a prefix Re: to the subject text.
Write for your audience. Use language, references, and subjects that the readers of the list will understand.
Identify yourself.
For most messages, a name following the From: header is sufficient. But sometimes people want to know the contributor's organization, title, or even a telephone number, fax number, or postal address.
Make up a signature block that contains appropriate contact information and append it to messages sent to mailing lists. But keep it short. Nobody wants to read a full-page signature block.
Be brief.
An e-mail message isn't a paper letter--it doesn't have to be a page long. One line may be enough; two pages is usually too much.
Some people write long messages in an effort to avoid being misunderstood. However, this may produce exactly the opposite effect: people will skim the message and pick whatever point catches their attention.
Edit with an eye toward brevity. Cut every word that adds nothing to the meaning of the message.
Organize the message.
Facilitate the reading of the message by stating its main point early (in the first sentence or paragraph) and placing details in the middle. For those rare messages that are quite lengthy, include an overview and a summary.
Quote only enough for context.
When responding to a previous message, quote only those elements of that message that will facilitate the understanding of the reply. Delete any portions that are not relevant.
Edit text.
Don't add text to explain a misstatement or misspelling in the messagemost readers will see it as careless and a waste of their time. Instead, rewrite it.
Check spellings with a spell checker and always try to use reasonably correct punctuation.
Format text for ease of readability.
How your words look can be as vital as what they say. What your readers see at first glance will either turn them on or off. If the sentences and paragraphs appear too hard to read, people will not want to struggle to get the message.
With the rapid increase in the number of e-mail messages, it's essential that text be formatted in a way that facilitates its reading:
Paragraphs define coherent units of thought and
make it easier for people to read messages.
Separating paragraphs with blank lines (not
indentations) eases the quoting of a single
paragraph in a reply.
All uppercase letters are hard to read. Strings of
capitals may be used sparingly to indicate
SHOUTING, but even shouting is seldom the
best way to get a point across.
The keyboard has a shift key. Use it.
Many mail readers cannot handle lines longer
than 80 characters. If the system being used
issues paragraphs without line breaks, output
the message with line breaks.
Short lines are also hard to read. Use lines of 60
to 70 characters in length.
Respect privacy.
Keep personal e-mail received from others private unless it is clearly labeled otherwise. Don't forward a personal e-mail message to a mailing list without the permission of the sender of the message.
When in doubt, don't assume--ask questions.
E-mail messages carry no subtext--the words in the message are the message. Don't assume something that is not there. If the message is unclear, ask for clarification before attempting to derive something that isn't stated.
