Basic Email Etiquette

Simple etiquette on writing and sending of email be it an office memo or a great joke that you want to share with your friends.

The number one rule when writing email is there is NO private email. Some company’s will monitor what their employees are sending and receiving, and there is always the possibility of a hacker cracking your password and reading what you might have considered confidential. Never write anything in an email that you wouldn't mind your mother or your boss reading.

Spelling and grammar is another major pet peeve for many people. Roughly 90% of all email programs designed after 1999 have a built-in spell check feature. Use this! And please remember, TYPING IN ALL CAPS is considered extremely rude. It is the equivalent of yelling or shouting in cyber space. When addressing an email, address it the same as you would if you were speaking to the person in real time. Please remember to put something relevant in the subject line of your emails, too. Keep in mind that some people can get hundreds of emails in a day, and if your email has a blank subject line, the recipient might delete it thinking it was “junk” mail. Also, there is no need to use excessive punctuation!!!!!

Another frustrating aspect of email is the content that is being sent. A good rule to live by is, keep it to one page if at all possible. Here are the top 5 rules of email etiquette you should know.

• Not all programs are alike - Unless you are sure the person(s) you are writing to have the software to view it, do not use fancy text and colors or HTML coding, and if you are sending a link to an in internet site, always type out the actual address.
• The cup runneth over - Let’s say you find out that one of your co-workers likes fishing as a hobby. This does not mean that you need to flood this person’s mailbox with every article, joke and newsletter on fishing that you come across. This will definitely not be appreciated unless asked for. Ditto on chain letters, bogus virus warnings and urban legend email. If, for some reason, you find that you cannot help yourself but to send something along the lines of the aforementioned topics, do everyone involved a favor and don’t forward it. Simply copy and paste the meaningful part of the email and send that to your acquaintances. Nobody wants to have to scroll through miles of text and addresses to get to the meat of the mail.
• Unnecessary attachments - If you are sending an email you first typed up on, say, MS Word, and it can be fitted in the email, please do not send the letter as an attachment, copy and paste it into your email, needless attachments lead to animosity.
• Patience is a virtue – Keep in mind that while some people seem to check their email hourly, others may not check their email for a couple of days, don’t be angry if you think someone is ignoring your email, they may not have had the chance the read it yet. On the other hand, if you are expecting an email, make sure you yourself make the time to read and reply, after all, you know how you feel when you are waiting for an answer, don’t you?
• The magic button - When replying to a group email, and there is only one person you’re really replying to, please do not automatically hit your “reply to all” button, send your two cents worth to that person only, everybody will appreciate it.

Now that you know the basics of email etiquette, keep in mind that not everyone knows these simple rules, and contain yourself from correcting another’s writing.

Traditional Etiquette: "Congratulations" to the Groom and "Best Wishes" to the Bride

This is an old standby of tradition which people disregard. You are supposed to give your "best wishes" to the bride and "congratulations" to the groom.

The concept is that "congratulations" implies that someone has won a prize or caught something, and it is somehow impolite to imply that the bride "caught" her husband or simply the old etiquette did not imply that the bride had won the groom, but that the groom had won the bride.

Nowadays, it is entirely correct to say "best wishes" to both, and to avoid controversy.

Sign of Peace

Making the sign of Peace (forefinger and middle finger open in the shape of a "V") is fine for as long as your palm is facing outwards - if you put the back of your hand towards the person or people you are communicating to, - then you are achieving the same result of giving someone "the finger".

Simple "Bless You"

In the Philippines, when you are introduced to your host's children, you should offer your hand back upwards, then the child touch your hand to their forehead, you are expected to say "Bless You". Not to do so is considered rude.

Table Manners

Every families have established their own table manners. Here are a few that should be remembered:

• Never reach for any food that is not right in front of you. Ask someone to pass it. And if you are passing something, don't help yourself along the way.
• If your food is too hot, wait for it to cool. Don't blow on it.
• If you put something in your mouth that's too hot, don't spit it out. Reach for your water and take a quick swallow.
• Don't talk with your mouth full.
• Bring your food up to your mouth rather than bending over to reach it.

Simple Manners at Home

Home is where you learn to get along with people. The closer you live with other people, the more important good manners are.

It is important for members of a family to consider each other's privacy. No matter how crowded a home is, everyone in it has a right to some place that is his own. Here are some privacy don'ts:

• Don't open a closed door until you have knocked and waited for permission to enter.
• Don't go into anyone else's things at home or anywhere else without his permission.
• Don't read anyone's mail or anything he has written (like diary) unless he asks you to.
• Don't discuss the private affairs of your family with outsiders or tell about a family problem.