Manager's Briefcase
Improving Your “E” IQ: Simple Tips for Netiquette
Jennifer Rains, Esq.

“The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it.” —Edward R. Murrow

E-mail allows us to communicate quickly (sometimes simultaneously directed to many people) via a method that creates a permanent record.  Thus, the old problem of deciding what to say and how to say it is frequently condensed into a matter of seconds but has lasting consequences.  For many of us, e-mail is simply too easy.  This ease allows slipping into a false sense of security or privacy.  Consequentially, we may type words we might not otherwise say or write in a traditional letter. This is particularly problematic in a business environment.  When communicating with business associates or colleagues, it is important to maintain the appropriate tone although e-mail often feels very informal.

As more people use e-mail with increasing frequency, a culture of “e-mail etiquette” or “netiquette” has emerged. “Netiquette,” as defined by Encarta Dictionary, is “a set of empirically derived rules for getting along harmoniously in the electronic communication environment.” 

Here are some basic tenets of netiquette to guide you in making more informed use of e-mail:

• Use clear and meaningful subject lines that your reader will understand.  Consider that your reader may use your subject heading as a means of organizing and retrieving your message.
• Keep your message short and focused.
• Use short paragraphs.
• Return emails in the same day that you would return a phone call.
• Use emoticons (smiley faces, winks, etc.), and other virtual gestures only after carefully considering the nature of your relationship with the recipient.
• Likewise, use acronyms sparingly to avoid confusion.  These tools can convey your voice to your recipient, but sarcasm, irony, and humor can be very easily misread.
• Limit the list of recipients and direct your message only to those who need to receive it (in other words, avoid overusing the cc (carbon copy) function).
• Use bcc (blind carbon copy) when addressing a message to a large group that does not necessarily know each other in order to respect privacy of e-mail addresses.
• Avoid using all capital letters, which indicates you are yelling.
• Re-read and proofread messages.
• Think twice before hitting send.  There are few experiences worse than suddenly realizing that you sent an ill-conceived message or accidentally sent a message to an unintended recipient.
• Refrain from sending unnecessary attachments.
• Do not flame anyone.  “Flaming” is “a virtual term for venting emotion online or sending inflammatory emails.”
• Include relevant portions of the original in the reply message to increase clarity.
• Write single subject messages whenever possible.
• Ask for action or the response you need directly.
• Remember e-mail is not always the best method of communication.
• Remember any message you send is permanent.

Sources (and helpful resources): Online Writing Lab, Purdue University, (last visited March 26, 2007); Mike Song et al., How to Stop Spinning Your Wheels—and Start Managing Your e-Mail, Moving Ahead: Management Insights for Business Success (last visited March 26, 2007);  Staff Training & Organizational Department, Yale University Library, Email Netiquette, (last visited March 26, 2007)

Jennifer Rains joined The National Judicial College in February 2005. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno, and her J.D. summa cum laude from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. She is a member of NASJE and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. During law school she was a Thomas More Scholar, an Articles Editor of the Gonzaga Law Review, and an intern for the Washington State Court of Appeals. Following law school, Ms. Rains was a law clerk for Judge Susan A. Ehrlich and Judge Lawrence F. Winthrop at the Arizona Court of Appeals in Phoenix, Arizona. She then worked on direct death penalty cases as a Capital Case Staff Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Before joining The National Judicial College, Ms. Rains worked for the law firm Brown, Lassiter & Killoughey, P.L.C. in Mesa, Arizona, practicing primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, commercial transactions, and alternative dispute resolution. Ms. Rains is admitted to the State Bar of Arizona.

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