E-mail: Be Less Annoying
I've come to the conclusion that everyone needs to take a test before being able to use e-mail. No, I'm serious.
You have to take an e-mail test. If you pass, you get an e-mail license. Proudly hang it on the wall. If you screw up -- break any of Bass's e-mail regs by, say, sending lots of message with blank subject lines -- and your license is pulled. You go on probation and attend mandatory remedial e-mail sessions.
You think I'm kidding, right? Don't test me, okay? Because I have a laundry list of ways people drive me wild with annoying e-mail behaviors. I wrote about a few in Get Relief From Annoying E-Mail, my Hassle-Free PC print column. But I have more (and God help you if you're one of the offenders). Dig in:
Stop Sending Annoying E-mail
The Hassle: One of my buddies came clean -- he said some of my e-mails are annoying. I've (finally) learned that I have to remove all the forwarding info, but imagine I'm committing other e-mail faux pas. You have any advice?
The Fix: Plenty (and don't send me e-mail until you read these, okay?).
* Don't Share. If you and your live in (spouse, lover, significant other, partner... whatever) use the same e-mail address, stop it. Extra e-mail addresses are free and consolidating e-mails into one mailbox is confusing the dickens out of me because I never know who I'm writing to.
* Save Time. Use [NM] or [EOM] (they stand for "No Message" or "End of Message") in the subject line as a shorthand way of answering e-mail that's simply a thank you or an acknowledgement. It helps reduce the number of e-mails that need to be opened; many of the people at PC World use the trick and it's increased everyone's productivity.
* Think short and use paragraphs. Obvious, right? Nope. I get e-mails with one long paragraph the length of the Gettysburg address. Break it up into three or four smaller ones. By the way, my limit is three or four paragraphs. After that I start dozing. [Editor's note: I noticed.] Send a test message to a buddy to make sure your e-mail program isn't removing paragraph returns.
I'll have more e-mail goofs for you tomorrow. In the meantime, lemme know if we're aligned on these annoyances. Or if I'm way off-base.
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This is a handy reminder about better ways to communications using email. Thought you'd find it interesting.
Thank you for a much needed article. Please expand your thoughts and write additional articles on the proper etiquette for mobile phone usage, instant messaging, and text messaging. I am beginning to think that everyone has either completely forgotten (or simply ignore) the rules of common civility, courtesy and professionalism.
Here are my pet peeves for email:
Spellcheck – Please use your spellchecking feature (or a good old paper dictionary) before sending the email
Grammar - …At least give it a try…please
Phone home – For conversations that require significant two-way dialog and do not require documenting, use a phone or IM. Do not send an email asking me to lunch in 30 minutes.
Other things that bother me:
1. Message starts in the subject and continues in the body.
2. Cutsey HTML (background image or color, etc.) especially when the result is unreadable.
3. Message that has been replied to several times without the garbage at the bottom (e.g. all that Yahoo group stuff) being removed.
4. Having your anti-virus add stuff at the end saying the message was screened. There is no way I am going to believe that, so it just wastes space.
5. Bloated signature blocks.
Much needed criticism. A couple more pet peeves: Stop using those fancy script fonts! They are near impssible to read. And please!!!!! No more purple, orange, green font colors. Its an email; not a work of art!
I must stop using lots of exclamation marks in my e-mails!!!!!!!
There, just got it out of my system.
Agreed. There should be a test and if you don't do what is correct e-mail should be set up so it won't send anything out until you do do it right.
People that tell you that they are taking a shit and sent a text message to tell you that.
Sending an e-mail to an entire department, etc. because you are too lazy to find out who the specific one or two individuals are that should receive the e-mail. Don't expect the rest of us to filter it for you.
I hate having to open 6 to 12 attachments to get to the message, just because the person couldn't take the time to CLEAN it up before forwarding it on to me.
I hate receiving an email that is blank, except for a URL. Tell me what it is about or don't bother me with it.