Email Etiquette - MIND THAT CAPS LOCK!

E-mail communication is one of the most important forms of communication between people today. Gone are the days when people wrote pages and pages of letters to their loved ones or business associates. But letters, or as they are called these days snail mails, went out of style for one reason-they took days to reach the recipient and by then the urgency of the business or the event, that had occured, had passed.
But now times have changed and so have the etiquettes to go with them. E-mail etiquettes are worlds apart from letter etiquette. When we communicate online, we expect the opposite person to observe some basic manners. Just that way, they expect the same from us and for a fruitful communication, it is important to keep these guidelines in mind and be courteous online at all times:
- Properly title your message: This is a prerequisite for official emails. Business associates do not have time to read emails to get to the gist of the matter. Having a proper - subject line helps make things easier
- Look before you hit send: Remember to go over what you have typed before you “send” it. If return impulsively, it may come back to haunt you
- Do not Spam: People these days have barely enough time to check their personal mail account and when they do, they do not want a load of spam cluttering their inbox. Put yourself in their position. Would you want to open your mail box after a month and see “chain letters” and “forwarded mails”? Point to be noted.
- Do not use the CC (Carbon Copy) function: This is important when you are sending a mail to multiple people. What is applicable for one one associate may not be true for the other. Also, it is insulting for the recipients to be on the receiving end of a mass mail.
- Use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy): Using CC results in all the recipients seeing each other's address which, in a way, is a violation of privacy to someone who may not wish to make his address public. Blind Carbon Copy only reveals two addresses; yours and theirs
- Short messages: It is better to keep your messages short and to the point.
- Avoid Capitals: This is a no-brainer but some people are not aware of this. Typing in caps doesn't emphasise the point more; it is interpreted as shouting.
- Avoid Sarcasm and other Rhetoric devices: Sarcasm and Irony do not work on print as well as they do, when spoken. So, chuck them.

The reason why email etiquette is important is because, you are not there to explain the context of the mail in person. The recipient will interpret the message in any way he pleases and in the off-chance that it is a negative one, it could give rise to a misunderstanding. So if these points are kept in mind, emailing can be as enjoyable as talking or even more. Just keep it simple, sweet and spam free and the main purpose behind emailing can be achieved- to connect. You may also want to know how to keep your email inbox zero.