Email Etiquette Rules: What's Your Email IQ?

So there you sit, screen-a-lit, typing a frenzied reply to a friend's loaded email. You wrap up the response with feverish intensity, and the send button is impulsively clicked. But in the immediate aftermath, you realize you've accidentally CC'd your aunt Trudy, who just happened to be the subject of your disapproving rant. All of this could have been avoided through the regular practice of a few simple email etiquette rules.

When communicating through email, careless momentary errors in judgment have the ability to permanently damage even your most valued relationships. The trouble with choosing electronic communication over old-fashioned face-to-face interaction is that every fleeting notion is nonchalantly documented, and sent off into cyberspace with the false security that it will never fall into the hands of the wrong person.

But Aren't Email Etiquette Rules Just Meant for the Office?

In the workplace, most people have a general sense of email etiquette rules: use professional language, answer promptly, and the perpetually reiterated, "Never type in capital letters!" But did you know that with the absence of facial expressions and vocal cues, even the most harmless emails can come off as snippy, or even - dare we say it, malicious?

Taking a few extra moments to check your everyday email etiquette will ensure you are never stuck with your foot in your mouth, and the overall spirit of your messages will never be lost in translation. Making a habit of reassessing who the recipient is, what the message conveys, and the resulting tone of the message will save eternal embarrassment from some of the most common email gaffes.

The following are five important email etiquette rules to follow, even if you're only engaging in casual, friendly correspondence:

Email Etiquette Rule #1 - Never Send a Message Without Proofreading it First

Have you ever sent an email to a casual acquaintance, only to stumble upon it later and realize it was littered with spelling errors and run-on sentences that didn't make much sense? Not only does the recipient of a hastily composed email have to devote extra time to interpreting the intended meaning, the sender also wastes valuable time sending subsequent emails in an attempt to correct the misinterpretations of the original message.

Just because your e-mail is casual, it doesn't have to demonstrate ineptness. Just two minutes of proofreading and a quick spell-check ensures you'll avoid common misunderstandings that can arise from those hastily composed messages.

Email Etiquette Rule #2 - Flames Are Never a Good Idea

When an email that makes your temperature rise lands in your inbox, your first response might be to retort while your emotions are still running high. Instead, it's important to walk away from the computer to compose your thoughts before replying.

Flame e-mails (angry e-mails written in haste) never solve disputes. In fact, they only escalate a situation that could otherwise be resolved with a carefully composed, well thought-out reply. Walking away to collect your thoughts is all it takes to avoid childish comebacks and retorts that you'll later regret.

How many times have you replied to a rude or nasty e-mail, and then later wished you had said something better? In the modern electronic world, you now have the advantage of taking that extra time to reply, while creating a message that will characterize you as someone who is composed, confident and secure.

Email Etiquette Rule #3 - Don't Overuse the "Reply to All"

We all receive mass e-mails from time to time with celebratory information, or general updates to a large group of people. But unless you're sure everyone on the sender's list has a close relationship, then a "reply to all" is not always a good idea. Not everyone is interested in following a long discussion thread that doesn't pertain to them - and if the thread extends for days or weeks, it becomes an annoyance to unconcerned recipients.

The "reply to all" button is frequently the culprit for information being unintentionally leaked to the wrong person. So unless your reply is truly intended for everyone on the list to read, play it safe and simply reply to the author of the original email.

Email Etiquette Rule #4 - Don't Overload Your Contacts' Inboxes With Forwards and Chain Letters

While it's certainly okay to send a funny or a happy now and then, pumping out too many forwards will undoubtedly have recipients redirecting your mail into their spam folders. Refrain from forwarding everything you receive, and send appropriate forwards only to those you know will appreciate them. If you're not sending the forward to everyone in your address book, it becomes more personal and can double as a quick hello.

Be tasteful in what you send, and remember that anything you do send can be forwarded to someone else with your name on the originating list. So be sure you want to be associated with the forward before it lands in your boss's, or your mother-in-law's inbox.

Email Etiquette Rule #5 - Never Request Delivery or Read Receipts

If you don't get a response, it's absolutely okay to ask, "Did you receive my last e-mail?" But in casual correspondence, it's never acceptable to request a delivery or read receipt. Not only will this behavior annoy the recipient, it will also make you appear suspicious, untrusting, and that you have no life.

Your friend, foe or last night's date has a right to their privacy. If they didn't want to respond right away, that is their choice. Chances are they did receive the e-mail, but be courteous in allowing them to reply on their own time.

When all else fails and you're craving an immediate response, drop the mouse and pick up the phone. In most cases, just five minutes on the horn can save you hours of unnecessary speculation and uncertainty. Let's face it, regardless of all the modern communication technologies available, certain issues are still best resolved by reverting to some good old-fashioned "one-on-one."