Writing Processes

Using media effectively

Page contents:

Best practices for formal messages and posts
Best practices for informal situations

Your instructors may expect you to create web content; post your work to course management systems, blogs, wikis, or social networking sites; and respond to the work of others on such sites. In addition, you will probably write email and text messages to your instructors and other students. As always, remember to consider your audience and your context in deciding what is appropriate. Because digital communication is so common, it’s easy to fall into the habit of writing very informally. If you forget to adjust style and voice for different occasions and readers, you may undermine your own intentions.

Best practices for formal messages and posts

When writing most academic and professional messages, or when posting to a public list that may be read by people you don’t know well, follow the conventions of academic English, and be careful not to offend or irritate your audience—remember that jokes may be read as insults and that ALL CAPS may look like shouting. Finally, proofread to make sure your message is clear and free of errors and that it is addressed to your intended audience before you hit send.

DISCUSSIONS AND COMMENTS

Avoid unnecessary criticism of others’ spelling or language. If a message is unclear, ask politely for a clarification.
If you disagree with an assertion, offer what you believe to be the correct information, but don’t insult the writer.
If you think you’ve been insulted, give the writer the benefit of the doubt. Replying with patience establishes your credibility and helps you appear mature and fair.
Keep in mind that more people than you think may be reading what you write.

EMAIL

Use a subject line that states your purpose clearly.
Use a formal greeting and closing (Dear Ms. Aulie rather than Hey).
Keep messages as concise as possible.
Conclude your message with your name and email address.
Ask for permission before forwarding a sensitive message from someone else.
For email threads, decide whether to reply to the sender of a message or to the whole group, and be careful to use REPLY or REPLY ALL accordingly.
Consider your email messages permanent and always findable, even if you delete them. Many people have been embarrassed (or worse, prosecuted) because of email trails.
Make sure that the username on the email account you use for formal messages does not present a poor impression. If your username is Party2Nite, consider changing it, or use your school account for academic and professional communication.

Best practices for informal situations

Sometimes audiences expect informality. When you write in certain situations—for example, many tweets and text messages—you can play with (or ignore) the conventions you would probably follow in formal writing. Many people receiving text messages expect shorthand such as u for “you,” but be cautious about using such shortcuts with an employer or instructor. You may want to stick to a more formal method of contact if your employer or instructor has not explicitly invited you to send text messages—or texted you first. And if you initiate a text conversation with someone you don’t know well, be sure to identify yourself in your first message.

Even when you think the situation calls for an informal tone, be attuned to your audience’s needs and your purpose for writing. And when writing for any online writing space that allows users to say almost anything about themselves or to comment freely on the postings of others, bear in mind that anonymity sometimes makes online writers feel less inhibited than they would be in a face-to-face discussion. Don’t say anything you want to remain private, and even if you disagree with another writer, avoid personal attacks.