ASK MR. MODEM

Brush Up Your Netiquette

If You Don’t Know These Internet Social Skills, You May Be in for a Rude Awakening

 By Richard A. Sherman 

 gnore this fact at your peril: A communications revolution has taken place. More and more, in both personal and business relationships, verbal conversations are being replaced by the sound of tapping keys and a computerized voice announcing, “You’ve got mail.”  

Unfortunately, many individuals and businesses use e-mail without paying a great deal of attention to etiquette—let’s call it "the New Netiquette." Just as with other written and verbal communications, certain standards and “appropriate-use” protocols apply online. Today, particularly in the business environment, failure to comply with these basic rules and accepted e-mail practices can result in a first impression you probably would rather avoid. Think of it this way:  If face-to-face first impressions are lasting, e-mail first impressions are forever.

Whether you’re brand new to the world of e-mail or you have been communicating online for years, it’s important to keep your e-mail skills and practices current. Beginning this month, I’ll be sharing the latest rules, guidelines and protocols of “The New Netiquette.” When this four-part series concludes, you will have at your fingertips the definitive "Mr. Modem's Guide to Online Civility and Acceptable E-mail Practices."

In part one, I’ll go over e-mail rules and guidelines. Without further ado, when writing e-mail:

1. Be concise. In other words, be sensitive to the time required to read your e-mail. Most recipients have other e-mail to read and won’t take the time to wade through your version of War and Peace. Reading an e-mail on screen is more difficult than reading printed material, therefore a lengthy e-mail message will often be avoided or quickly skimmed by a busy recipient. While composing your e-mail, keep repeating the following two-word mantra: “yadda-yadda.” That's what the reader of your e-mail will be thinking after the first few sentences, if you ramble on too long.

2. Be generous with your paragraphing. Hitting your recipient in the face with a screen of solid text is a sure-fire way to have your e-mail ignored. Use paragraphs to create “white space,” which will make your e-mail aesthetically pleasing and thus more inviting to the reader. 

3. When replying to an e-mail inquiry, answer all questions asked. If you avoid answering some questions, the recipient’s assumption will be that you’re intentionally not responding—which may or may not be the case. If it is your intention not to answer, let the inquiring party know that you either don't know the answer, you're uncomfortable responding, or you need additional time to formulate a complete response. Ignoring a question will not make it go away and will likely result in additional e-mail, requiring even more of your time.

4. Respond completely. A one-word “yes,” “no,” or “agreed” reply, without any further explanation, forces the recipient to re-read his or her initial email. (See Rule No. 5.) If you're responding to a question, take the time to reference the question in the Subject line and/or in the body of your reply in order to provide some meaningful context for your answer.

When responding, if there is a Web site you would like to refer to, include the Web site’s URL (address) or a link to it, not just the name of the site. Your objective is to close the communications loop by providing a complete, yet succinct, answer. 

             5. Whenever possible, “quote back” by including the "parent" message or previous discussion. Most e-mail programs will automatically include previous discussion (thus creating a message “thread”) when you click Reply. Your response should always appear at the top, before the previous message(s). The recipient of your e-mail should be able to read your reply, then scroll down through the previous discussion if he or she needs additional context. If the e-mail you are responding to is a lengthy one, cut and paste or delete irrelevant portions so your reply is both focused and responsive.

            6. Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. This is particularly important in business communication. Use a spell-check or grammar-check program, and take the time to proofread your e-mail before sending it. E-mail has a casual feel to it, but don’t be so casual that you become a casualty. Business communication is still business communication, whether by letter, fax or e-mail. Your e-mail will likely be saved by recipients and possibly shared with others. It’s not a cyber felony if you don’t spell everything correctly, but lasting impressions are formed by e-mail. Take the time to make sure your online communication represents you in a way that you would like to be represented.

            7.  Exercise tolerance for others.  The people you encounter online come from different backgrounds and cultures and have varying degrees of education. For many, English may not be their native language. Don’t correct the grammar, spelling or punctuation of others. No matter how well-intentioned your efforts, nobody appreciates a know-it-all.

             8. Personalize your communication. Particularly in customer-service applications, always include a salutation that includes the recipient’s name, and be sure to sign each e-mail. Even if you’re working in a department of a large organization, avoid signing a message, “Department of Education,” or “Customer Service Department.” Include your name, first and last, as the sender. Don’t attempt to hide behind anonymity. Your e-mail represents your organization, and you are accountable for your words.

             9. Use templates for frequent responses. Pre-written e-mail messages or "stationery" are fine if you repeatedly answer the same or similar questions. But be sure to personalize your "canned" responses by including the recipient’s name in the salutation, or modify the message slightly to personalize it in another manner. Avoid impersonal, “boilerplate” messages.

            Attempting to distance yourself or your organization from a problem will only exacerbate the situation with a customer, client or member. E-mail is an instant and intimate form of communication. If you want to create distance by slowing down communication, you can always revert to snail mail or the always-popular game of telephone tag.

             10. Respond promptly. Responding within 24 hours or by the end of the next business day is the acceptable standard. If additional time is required, acknowledge receipt of an e-mail and advise the sender that a follow-up response will be forthcoming within 24-hours or whatever time is appropriate. Don’t miss any self-imposed deadlines. If you promise a response within 24 hours, 36 hours is not acceptable. If you are on vacation or out of the office for an extended period of time, use an auto-responder (auto-generated e-mail) to let those who attempt to reach you know that you will not return until a given date. If appropriate, include the name and e-mail address of a colleague or associate who can be contacted in case of emergency.

 Coming next month, Part 2 of "The New Netiquette."

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Richard A. Sherman, a k a Mr. Modem, is a nationally syndicated columnist, whose “Ask Mr. Modem!” column appears in more than 60 publications throughout the U.S. and in Canada. As publisher of the popular “Ask Mr. Modem” weekly newsletter, he provides easy-to-understand, non-technical, computer- and Internet-related answers to questions received from subscribers worldwide. He is the author of eight books, including “Mr. Modem’s Internet Guide for Seniors” (Sybex) and “Ask Mr. Modem,” a collection of hundreds of frequently asked computer and Internet questions received from readers. Richard is a contributing editor to TechTV and host of the daily "Mr. Modem Minute" television segment produced by FOX-TV.

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