|
Electronic mail is about communication. Clarity should be our goal. The following may be used as guidelines for email etiquette:
Subject line: Make the subject line meaningful. Its often the only clue the recipient has about the contents when filing & searching for messages.
Message length: Don't type your message in all uppercase as it's extremely difficult to read. A short stretch of uppercase may serve to emphasise a point. Try to break your message into logical paragraphs & restrict your sentences to sensible length.
Annotating text: Quote back only the smallest amount you need to make your context clear.
Replies: Pay attention to where your reply is going to end up, especially if the message has been forwarded to you.
Avoiding email anger: The ease of email makes abuse easy too. To avoid this, observe the following:
- Think before you send, don't respond in anger.
- Put a one-hour delay on your email in case you need to cool down or rethink it.
- Treat email as you would any other publication, don't say anything you wouldn't say in print.
- Remember that email is a record that can be saved forever and can also be forwarded to anyone and everyone without your knowledge.
Doublecheck the address to save yourself from a potentially embarrassing situation.
When you receive email, don't over-read it, recognise that each time you read it, it can cut a little deeper and that is probably not what the sender intended. Try starting your message with the person's name and include your own at the end.
Please contact the helpdesk on telephone extension 2117 or email at helpdesk(at)usp.ac.fj for further enquiries.
|
