Netiquette
Netiquette is an informal set of "Rules of the Road" for the Internet. Follow the rules and avoid incidents that may harm your business. Here are some of the more important ones.
Reply!
If you receive an e-mail, always reply unless it would be silly to do so. The sender cannot know that you actually received it.
Don't Send Very Large Attachments Out Of The Blue
Although more people are on broadband, remember many are not. And while digital cameras take ever higher quality photos, the penalty is that file sizes are ever larger. Don't be tempted to send a series of images to someone without first checking with them.
Respect Privacy
Don't forward an e-mail you have received to someone outside your business without the permission of the sender unless it is reasonable to do so.
Respect Copyright
Just because you "found" something on the Internet does not mean you can use it freely. Copyright still belongs with the copyright holder, even if you used a search engine to find it. This applies equally to images as well as text!
Mind Your Language
Assume nothing about someone you are corresponding with for the first time, they might be highly offended even by mildly blue language.
Avoid Confrontation
Even the mildest forms of criticisms can come across in an e-mail as quite severe, remember, your correspondent is getting it in black and white.
Do Not Shout
Typing large parts of your email, or even all of it, IN CAPITAL LETTERS to make it stand out is considered to be SHOUTING, and can easily give unintended offence. If there is some point that you wish to indicate is particularly important, simply say so.
Don't Jump To Conclusions
It is all too easy to make an assumption about why someone has done something - and get it wrong. If you're pointing out a mistake, do so without making out they're an idiot.
Do Not Edit Original Text
When you are replying to or forwarding an e-mail, never edit the original text, even to make helpful grammar or spelling corrections. However:
Do Delete Extraneous Text
When you are replying to a long e-mail, delete text you are not responding to. It makes it easier to understand your reply and follow a thread. However, do not delete so much that the context becomes unclear.
Do Not Quote Out Of Context
When quoting text, be very careful to retain the original meaning. It can cause endless arguments about what was meant and you might be accused of deliberately distorting the writer's meaning.
