Week 4: Email etiquette

I remember when I was quite a bit younger, I received a chain letter in the mail. I had no idea what it was and my mom had to explain it to me. It was the only chain letter I have ever received--until email. Now, I receive electronic chain letters constantly. Sending chain letters is against the rules of email etiquette. Most of them are fake, so sending them is apparently a sign of disrespect. I don't send them because I don't believe them and think most of them are stupid. However, some of the forwards I receive aren't necessarily asking for anything; rather, they are just stating jokes, funny stories or photos, or heartwarming stories, all of which could be fake, but I send them anyway. I have a folder in my email inbox dedicated to the collection of all the good forwards I've received. There are plenty of websites with an archive of chain letters where I can go to to read the ones I haven't received yet; this one seemed to be the most appealing to me. The website is described as a final resting place for over a thousand email forwards, funnies, hoaxes, jokes, surveys and more. Reading these is a good way to pass time or procrastinate on the web.

Using proper grammar and spelling is also part of email etiquette, but I don't think many people know of this rule--or so it seems. I'll admit even I sometimes use improper grammar on the internet while talking casually with friends. One of the main errors I make is not capitalizing words that should be. I usually write in all lowercase letters. Yes, the spelling and punctuation as well as other basic syntax are all correct, but for some reason I just don't capitalize while I email or instant message in casual conversations at least. I also often forget to proofread because when I send an email I am usually in a hurry. One website tells us that following proper grammar rules is important, but it's not necessarily important to follow a certain type of writing style or comply with every rule in the book. And another site gives some great advice: "Poor writing is equivalent to someone speaking with spinach stuck between their teeth. Listeners and readers concentrate on the spinach; not what is being said." The site also tells us to use paragraphs! I can't stand it when people send me an email that is one big paragraph. What's even worse is when the email is one big run-on "sentence."

Those are just a couple of the many rules for email etiquette. Whether it's a personal email to family and friends or a professional email to your professors or colleagues, it's important to keep the rules in mind. Does anyone have a certain rule they always follow when emailing? What about a certain rule you don't follow? Is email etiquette too grim?