Best Computer Etiquette Tips for 2013

          It’s not too difficult to imagine what Emily Post would have to say about the proper etiquette regarding email.  But in her absence, we’ll share our best tips to help you be a more successful correspondent.

1.  Answer your emails.  In this age of cyberspace there are the occasional transmissions that get dropped into the great black void. Within 48 hours is a reasonable amount of time to respond, if just to say received your note, will get back to you.

2.  Don’t capitalize or boldface every word. It reeks of shouting. Limit bolding and caps to mentioning a time or place or website that will need to be referred to later, which is helpful when referring back to it.

3.  Use abbreviations only if you know the recipient knows the lingo.  U R 2 kind.

4.  Thank-you notes and sympathy notes, regardless of today’s technology, should still be written by hand and mailed.

5.  Choose your font carefully. Not all type faces are legible and easily read, especially by aging eyes. Think about increasing the size from 10-point to 12-point.

6.  Be very careful with what you put in writing. It’s a difficult point to get through to today’s teens, but remember, what goes through the Internet can be tracked and there are many things that are best not put into the written word.

7.  Don’t fill in the address of the recipient until the message has been written and proofed. Save yourself the embarrassment of pushing “send” prematurely and having something delivered to the wrong person. Most people have regretted sending at least one misdirected email.

8.  It’s always easier to find that email again if there’s a subject mentioned in the bar that’s provided just for that.

9.  There’s a reason why computer programs come equipped with spell check. Use it.

10. Careful with the jokes. They may be funny to you, but maybe not so much to the recipient. Also, be reasonable in sharing your ever-growing library of humor.

We are very fortunate to have this wonderful technology at hand and so readily available to everyone.  Like most things, however, it can be easily abused; keep that in mind with your correspondence.

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