Email Etiquette | Parkrose School District

Take Another Look Before You Send a Message

With email, what can be misunderstood will be misunderstood. That's why you should be double careful with everything you write
Check for spelling errors
Avoid word misuse that spellcheck won't catch
- too / to / two
- there / their

Do Not Default to "Reply All"

Use your email program's Reply to All feature only when your reply will be necessary to know for the original sender and all people in the original email's To: and Cc: field
Do not use Reply to All when
- only the original sender needs to know your reply
- your comments will be crucial to know for the original sender and a few other recipients
  - (Use Reply in this case and add the select other recipients manually. You can copy their addresses from the original email, of course)
- you have been a Bcc: recipient in the original message or
  - The Bcc: field should only be used to distribute emails while keeping the recipients' addresses confidential or to copy somebody internally, as proof, when delivering an email to the outside, for example.
    If you reply to all as a Bcc: recipient you reveal your being a recipient
- your message says "Thanks!" or "Me too!"

Keep Emails Short

If you do have much to write:
- Break your message into bullet points
- Begin each point with a concise summary or the action you want taken
- Make sure important information is not hidden in your message's or any bullet point's meat
- Start a new message for each major action you request from the recipient

Don't Forward Hoaxes

Do not forward such a story unless you have investigated it yourself
- Check snopes.com

Write a Good Email Subject

To compose the perfect email subject:

Give the message's bottom line
- If your email comprises multiple topics, consider breaking it into multiple messages
Summarize the message — why you are writing and what you want to be different after the recipient has read your email — instead of describing it
Be precise
- Include detail that allows the recipient to identify what you are talking about quickly and unambiguously
If your message requires the recipient's action, say so; preferably with the first word
Leave out unnecessary words
- Email subjects need to be concise. Skip articles, adjectives and adverbs

Let People Know Their Mail Has Been Received

Send a quick note back, possibly involving an informal thank-you, to acknowledge receipt even if no reply is necessary otherwise
Even if you do plan to reply later, an email acknowledging receipt and letting the sender know when you will get back to them can be welcome

Talk About One Subject per Email Message Only

Punctuation Matters

Comma, colon, hyphen and semicolon — all exist for a reason: they make it easier to understand the intended meaning of a sentence. Don't make life more difficult and possibly less interesting for the recipients of your emails

Use Acronyms Sparingly in Email

WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS LIKE SHOUTING

When you write in all capital letters, this looks (and maybe sounds) to the recipient as if you were shouting
Makes reading much more difficult

Be Careful with Humor/Sarcasm in Emails

Humor/sarcasm is often difficult to discern in email and should be avoided when possible

Avoid "Me Too" Messages

'Me too' messages do very little good when responding to a distribution list email

Avoid Forwarding Email Messages

Get permission from original sender and anyone else in message string before forwarding
Original message may not be taken in correct context

Warning: Your Email May Be Forwarded

Avoid content/language that could be taken out of context if/when forwarded
What would this sound like if someone else read this without knowing the background?

Who Needs To Read This?

Carefully select your recipients
Don't use a distribution list if you are only targeting a small subset of the list

Email - Not A Forum For Complaining/Venting

Oregonian Headline – My Email Message?