As we cross off the days to the end of the year, let’s all remember to tread lightly and think positively.  Today’s blog topic is email etiquette; that’s something easy to forget while taking care of our long list of year-end tasks.  Take a few minutes to review what you probably already know:

·        Make email messages polite, reasoned, and to the point.  No one will ever win a prize for an email message.

·        Avoid sending spam, unsolicited messages sent to a large group without business purpose.

·        Realize that some messages are better delivered in person.  This avoids a long volley of messages that take much longer than a simple conversation.  It also allows the recipient to benefit from the nuances of conversation such as facial expressions.

·        Your personal signature should probably be no longer than four lines, and certainly no longer than the message itself.

·        Use the ‘To:’ line for people you are directly addressing.

·        Use the ‘cc:’ line for people you are indirectly addressing.  Don’t over-do it here.  Copy only those who really need to be copied, not your entire address book of contacts.  Some people receive hundreds of email messages a day, so the last thing they want to see is a message of little relevance to them.

·        The ‘bcc:’ line is a blind copy that hides the copy from other participants in the conversation.  Consider the implications for a moment, and you will realize that use of this line is somewhat unethical and should be avoided in most cases.

·        The ‘Reply to All’ button can generate so much unnecessary email.  Use it responsibly and with care.

·        Please have the author’s permission before forwarding an email.  On the other hand, it’s important to remember that once you write an email, your words become a permanent record and you lose control of the message by clicking the ‘Send’ button.

Last, consider the Golden Rule of Email:  Remember the Human.  Be sensitive because it’s easy to forget that messages are sent to real people with real feelings.

Here's a link to a fun website you may want to use this summer to record and share your travels— Grapheety where you can upload pictures and tag them with a little story on the map.