Basic E-mail Etiquette

Has this happened to you? You type an email, check for grammar and spelling and hit "send". Suddenly the screen pops up that says your mail has been sent but you notice it's been sent to the wrong person. You frantically search for the "unsend" button. You know there isn't one but miracles can happen right? Perhaps you were telling your coworker what an idiot your boss is and you accidentally sent it to the company president. In a moment of anger you send an email complaining about your neighbor to your neighbor instead of your best friend. Oops!

Many people probably have a similar story to tell or have at least one huge gripe about general email etiquette. When I was first online I had WebTV. I decided I wanted to learn a little about html so I enlisted the help of a person who offered free basic lessons from their website. Though I learned some things about html that have since slipped my mind, I learned something far more important about my email address. I should be more careful where it goes and who gets it.

This gentleman was well meaning but he added me to his address book. He would then send out emails quite frequently to everyone in his address book. My email address was copied from these group emails and added to other lists. Within a matter of weeks my inbox was full of emails from people I didn’t know. Even worse some of them were clearly sent by very disturbed people. I’ll leave it at that.

I cannot say I’m perfect. I’m sure I have annoyed my fair share of people with my online boo-boos but as time goes on I like to think I have learned how to be considerate of others and have become more careful to protect my email address. Here are some things to keep in mind the next time you open your inbox and prepare to send an email.

Foot in Mouth Syndrome