• Never reply to spam. Never.
• Use good subject lines. Generally, clever is not good. (Although good may be clever.)
• Emailing binary files through the Internet is always bad. Sign up for a free Yahoo briefcase or anything else that lets you upload the file to a web server & email just the link.
• Never send anyone a Word, Excel, or Powerpoint file without checking with them first. Instead, send plain text, HTML, PDF, RTF, or another open format.
• Never forward email.
• If you want to share jokes, inspirational messages, &c. via email, join (or start) an appropriate (automated) mailing list. Do not try to do it on your own. Do not send such messages to anyone unsolicited. (Which is covered by "never forward email", but is worth repeating.)
• Never reply all when reply will do.
• Always double-check your recipients before sending email. Did your email program interpret "reply" as you expected?
• When sending an email to lots of people, use Bcc instead of To or CC. This prevents...
  • Recipients having to deal with a huge number of To or CC fields.
  • Exposing every recipient's address to every other recipient.
• Don't believe anything you read in an email. (Unless it was cryptographically signed, you've verified the signature, & you trust the signer.) Verify.
• Get setup to send & receive encrypted email.
• Never use GIF; use PNG instead.
• Use JPEG (actually JFIF) for photographs only.
• Never use Comics Sans unless you are actually lettering a comic. Not even then.
• Generally, do not use more than two fonts & two font sizes in a single document. Often one of each will do.
• When you come across a word or concept you don't understand, check Merriam-Webster, Wikipedia, & Google.

Never say never. There are always exceptions to my nevers above.

last updated 1 year ago #