Outlook gives us a great method to share information. We can send messages to a group of people or several people, we can send documents or pictures along with comments, and even verify if our recipients read the message and when they read it. Outlook is a powerful tool that needs some thoughtfulness in its use. E-mail is a critical component of our communications system. Effective use of the e-mail system suggests that messages should be concise and directed to individuals with an interest or need to know. All e-mail communication should be handled in the same manner as a letter, fax, memo or other business communication.

Below are several recommendations for prompt and courteous e-mail behavior:

• Keep e-mails constructive in substance and professional in use.
  
  
• Be concise and to the point. Use short paragraphs. Do not make an e-mail longer than it needs to be. Remember that reading an e-mail is harder than reading printed communications and a long e-mail can be very discouraging to read.
  
  
• Read the e-mail before you send it. Reading your e-mail through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.
  
  
• For simple replies, write the text in the subject line with zero content in the body - e.g., "Meeting confirmed for 3 p.m., no text follows".
  
  
• Do not send messages with blank subject lines. Messages with no subject line are likely to be treated as junk e-mail. Make the subject line meaningful so the receiver can easily determine the message content.
  
  
• Proofread the distribution list carefully before sending the e-mail - avoid sending mail to those that do not want the mail.
  
  
• Do not overuse Reply to All. Only use Reply to All if you really need your message to be seen by each person who received the original message.
  
  
• Be careful when typing in capital letters, as all-capitalized words and sentences in e-mails are often interpreted as yelling.
  
  
• Write in factual style avoiding verbiage that can be misconstrued. E-mail is one-directional - i.e., the reader cannot hear the sender's intonation. Conversely, the sender cannot see the reader's facial expression as the message is being read.
  
  
• Use a signature file with pertinent information.
  
  
• Separate ideas with bullets.
  
  
• Do not attach unnecessary files. Only send attachments when productive and necessary.
  
  
• Do not use e-mail to discuss confidential information. Sending an e-mail is like sending a postcard. If you do not want your e-mail to be displayed on a bulletin board, don't send it.
  
  
• Put the due date and to whom the response is to be delivered in the first line of the e-mail so it can be copied to a calendar.
  
  
• Do not send cut-and-paste articles from the internet - send the link instead.
  
  
• Do not fragment a distribution list - this is how multiple e-mail threads on the same subject start.
  
  
• Never send e-mail when angry. Instead, type it, then save it to a folder. After you are calm, reread it and edit it, then send.
  
  
• Treat people with the same courtesy and respect in e-mail as you would face to face.
  
  
• Do not use e-mail as a replacement for face-to-face conversation.
  
  
• Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters. If you receive an e-mail warning you of a new unstoppable virus that will immediately delete everything from your computer, this is most likely a hoax. By forwarding hoaxes you use valuable bandwidth and sometimes virus hoaxes contain viruses themselves, by attaching a so-called file that will stop the dangerous virus. The same goes for chain letters that promise incredible riches or ask your help for a charitable cause. Even if the content seems to be bona fide, the senders are usually not.
  
  
• Don't reply to spam. By replying to spam or unsubscribing, you are confirming that your e-mail address is Ôlive'. Confirming this will only generate more spam. Just hit the delete button.