Writing Emails
Before you write an email in the workplace, find out your organization’s email policies. Most companies have written policies that discuss circumstances under which you may and may not use email, principles you should use in writing emails, and the monitoring of employee email. Figure 9.11 on page 256 shows the basic elements of an email.
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GUIDELINES: Following Netiquette
When you write email in the workplace, adhere to the following netiquette guidelines. Netiquette refers to etiquette on a network.
Stick to business. Don’t send jokes or other nonbusiness messages.
Don’t waste bandwidth. Keep the message brief. When you reply to another email, don’t quote long passages from it. Instead, establish the context of the original email by paraphrasing it briefly or by including a short quotation from it. When you quote, delete the routing information from the top as well as the signature block from the bottom. And make sure to send the email only to people who need to read it.
Use the appropriate level of formality. As discussed on page 242, avoid Avoid informal writing.
Write correctly. As discussed on page 243, remember Remember to revise, edit, and proofread your emails before sending them.
Don’t flame. To flame is to scorch a reader with scathing criticism, usually in response to something that person wrote in a previous message. When you are angry, keep your hands away from the keyboard.
Make your message easy on the eyes. Use uppercase and lowercase letters, and skip lines between paragraphs. Use uppercase letters or boldface (sparingly) for emphasis.
Don’t forward a message to an online discussion forum without the writer’s permission. Doing so is unethical and illegal; the email is the intellectual property of the writer or (if it was written as part of the writer’s work responsibilities) the writer’s company.
Don’t send a message unless you have something to say. If you can add something new, do so, but don’t send a message just to be part of the conversation.
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Figure 9.12a shows an email that violates netiquette guidelines. The writer is a technical professional working for a microchip manufacturer. Figure 9.12b shows a revised version of this email message.
