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Best of Reader Comments: Your top email tips
Words of wisdom from silicon.com readers...

By editorial@silicon.com

Published: Thursday 18 July 2002

Ever since we published our top email tips (http://www.silicon.com/a54586 ), silicon.com has been inundated with reader comments. Here's a selection of some of the best.

Attachments
From: Anon

1. If you've said you've attached a file, make sure you have before you hit the button.
2. If you've added an attachment, make sure it is the right one, and the latest and/or correspondent specific version.
3. If your attachment is a Word.doc make sure that you've turned off 'track changes' if you don't want the recipient to see the entire history of the thing since first draft.

The Grammar of Cyberia
Ahmad Risk

* write to people, not machines
* understand the limitations of text, understand the limitations of words
* use your language appropriately and correctly
* at the same time, do not criticise others misuse
* be sensitive and tolerant
* do not reply to a message in 2 weeks, do it now
* do not quote entire message in reply and add one line of your own
* do not reply if all that you want to say is "I agree"
* separate your input from quoted texts so that your audience know which is which
* mark quoted text
* learn selective quoting
* do not saddle your message with unwanted and un-necessary garbage
* do not use techno-wonders for the hell of it
* promote yourself, but subtly

One or two more..
From: Tony Norman

My experience says: Use a spell checker.

Proof broadcast emails really, really carefully as all the recipients will tell you about your mistake! If you are exchanging emails with someone and either of you is habitually copying in your boss then you need a conversation!

URLs
From: Geoff Jones

When you send someone a URL cc yourself and make sure what you sent works, half of them never do!!

A couple more...
From: Ainsley Charles Ward

Try and keep the following list in mind whenever you write an email:
" Never send a message when you are angry or upset - the drafts folder can be used for you to store anything important until you can objectively review before sending.
" Don't use an email to avoid speaking to someone. If you have issues, the best course of action is to plan a meeting or telephone conference where your issues can be raised and resolved. It is very difficult to effectively convey your emotions in an email.
" Use an email to confirm details of a conversation or telephone conversation (but do not use it instead of one).

Top tips for email management
From: Alyn Hockey

* Do not open suspicious looking emails - even if they are from a known source. Look at the attachment and the name of it, especially if it's something that could carry a virus such as .exe, .doc or .vbs.
* Don't forward messages that: instruct you to forward them, claim that the alert was generated by a reputable source such as Microsoft, or use extremely technical language
* Always check the recipient box of the email you are about to send - are there any recipients that you may have included by mistake?
* Always tell your IT director about suspect emails so that the problem can be rectified.
* Ensure that you are running anti-virus software and make sure it gets updated at least daily.
* Do not use email to send complaints about fellow employees or clients: email is not the best forum for this and it could land your company in a lawsuit if it gets into the wrong hands
* Make sure you know what your company's email policy is and that you abide by it at all times

Many thanks to all those who sent us their email tips. If you have any advice you'd like published on silicon.com please send us your thoughts in a reader comment below (note there is a 250-word limit on reader comments.