By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Identify five strategies for using netiquette while communicating online
• Explain the four guidelines for texting is a business environment
• Recognize key elements of a strong professional email

Following several guidelines for online postings, as detailed below, can help you avoid embarrassment later:

• Know your context
  • Introduce yourself
  • Avoid assumptions about your readers; remember that culture influences communication style and practices
  • Familiarize yourself with policies on Acceptable Use of IT Resources at your organization.

• Remember the human
  • Remember there is a person behind the words; ask for clarification before making judgment
  • Check your tone before you publish; avoid jokes, sarcasm, and irony as these can often be misinterpreted and get “lost in translation” in the online environment
  • Respond to people using their names
  • Remember that culture, age, and gender can play a part in how people communicate
  • Remain authentic and expect the same of others
  • Remember that people may not reply immediately. People participate in different ways, some just by reading the communication rather than jumping into it.

• Recognize that text is permanent
  • Be judicious and diplomatic; what you say online may be difficult or even impossible to retract later.
  • Consider your responsibility to the group and to the working environment
  • Agree on ground rules for text communication (formal or informal; seek clarification whenever needed) if you are working collaboratively

• Avoid flaming:  research before you react
  • Accept and forgive mistakes
  • Consider your responsibility to the group and to the working environment
  • Seek clarification before reacting; what you heard is not always what was said
  • Ask your supervisor for guidance.*

• Respect privacy and original ideas
  • Quote the original author if you are responding with a specific point made by someone else
  • Ask the author of an email for permission before forwarding the communication.

* Sometimes, online behaviour can appear so disrespectful and even hostile that it requires attention and follow up. In this case, let your supervisor know right away so that the right resources can be called upon to help.

If your work situation allows or requires you to communicate via text messages, keep the following tips in mind:

• Know your recipient:  “? % dsct” may be an understandable way to ask a close associate what the proper discount is to offer a certain customer, but if you are writing a text to your boss, it might be wiser to write, “what % discount does Murray get on $1K order?”
• Anticipate unintentional misinterpretation:  texting often uses symbols and codes to represent thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Given the complexity of communication, and the useful but limited tool of texting, be aware of its limitation and prevent misinterpretation with brief messages.
• Use appropriately:  contacting someone too frequently can border on harassment. Texting is a tool. Use it when appropriate but don’t abuse it.
• Don’t text and drive:  research shows that the likelihood of an accident increases dramatically if the driver is texting behind the wheel (“Deadly distraction,” 2009). Being in an accident while conducting company business would reflect poorly on your judgment as well as on your employer.

Open with a proper salutation:  proper salutations demonstrate respect and avoid mix-ups in case a message is accidentally sent to the wrong recipient. For example, use a salutation like “Dear Ms. X” (external) or “Hi Barry” (internal).

Include a clear, brief, and specific subject line:  this helps the recipient understand the essence of the message. For example, “Proposal attached” or “Electrical specs for project Y.”

Close with a signature:  identify yourself by creating a signature block that automatically contains your name and business contact information.

Avoid abbreviations:  an email is not a text message, and the audience may not find your wit cause to ROTFLOL (roll on the floor laughing out loud).

Be brief:  omit unnecessary words.

Use a good format:  divide your message into brief paragraphs for ease of reading. A good email should get to the point and conclude in three small paragraphs or less.

Reread, revise, and review:  catch and correct spelling and grammar mistakes before you press “send.” It will take more time and effort to undo the problems caused by a hasty, poorly written email than to take the time to get it right the first time.

Reply promptly:  watch out for an emotional response—never reply in anger—but make a habit of replying to all emails within twenty-four hours, even if only to say that you will provide the requested information in forty-eight or seventy-two hours.

Use “Reply All” sparingly:  do not send your reply to everyone who received the initial email unless your message absolutely needs to be read by the entire group.

Avoid using all caps:  capital letters are used on the Internet to communicate emphatic emotion or yelling and are considered rude.

Test links:  if you include a link, test it to make sure it is working.

Email ahead of time if you are going to attach large files:  audio and visual files are often quite large; be careful to avoid exceeding the recipient’s mailbox limit or triggering the spam filter.

Give feedback or follow up:  if you don’t get a response in twenty-four hours, email or call. Spam filters may have intercepted your message, so your recipient may never have received it.

Tip:  add the address of the recipient last to avoid sending prematurely.  This will give you time to do a last review of what you’ve written, make sure links work, make sure you’ve added the attachment, etc., before adding the sender’s address and hitting send.