Manners matter when you’re sending e-mail

E-mail can become overwhelming. It clogs our inboxes and slows us down. In some cases, we pound out responses as fast as possible to clear out our inboxes, showing little consideration to whatever we are actually writing. This really is ill-fated. There is a certain etiquette we ought to follow when sending e-mails. If we forget to mind our social manners, we might end up being disparaging or confounding the recipients of our e-mail missives. Here, then, is a quick look at some e-mail etiquette essentials.

Sometimes it is possible to too brief

How many times have you gotten a very brief e-mail message? It's easy to think that the sender is angry with you for reasons uknown. However, let's suppose the sender was sending the message via an iPhone or iPad? It's not always easy to type on small mobile devices. And as a consequence, a lot of us keep our messages short when typing on those annoyingly constraining pop-up keyboards. To let readers understand that this is the explanation for your brevity, make a specific signature for any e-mail accounts you use on smartphones and tablets. As per the Web site Mashable, this signature ought to tell people that you're e-mailing from a mobile device, and that's why your message is so short. Something similar to "Excuse my brevity; I'm typing this on my iPhone" will do the trick.

Don’t ignore messages

When your inbox is clogged, it’s easy to let some messages languish without a response. You’re simply short on time. But not responding to an e-mail message from a co-worker, friend or family member is awfully rude. Even if you can’t yet tackle the specific question in an e-mail message, make sure you send back a quick reply explaining that you’re flooded with other tasks but will get to the question soon.

Slow down

CBS News also recommends that you take the time to actually proofread your e-mail messages prior to sending them. It's tempting to quickly dash off a message and hit "send." Doing so, can leave you with an email that's filled with typos. Even worse, you could forget to add a necessary attachment. Don't rush. It's polite to make sure that you are sending out a competent e-mail message.

No shouting, please

Whatever you do, do not ever send an e-mail message that is written entirely in capital letters. This is whats called shouting, and no one likes it. It’s easy to see why: A message in all caps is hard on the eyes. Instead, stick to the normal rules of capitalization when drafting your e-mail messages.