Step 1: Doing the Right Thing

Your English teacher was right all those years ago: style in writing really does matter, and your outgoing emails are an example. Here's a refresher of the basics. The most important is to take the time to look back over your text before you hit the "Send" button. A quick proofreading of your outgoing mail can make the difference between what you said and what you meant to say.

Step 2: Keep it Brief

It takes a much shorter time for you to write a brief note than extended prose. And it also takes a much shorter time for the reader to read and understand a brief note. There are some exceptions to this: when you're writing a long letter to someone who's expecting one. But if it's a short idea, give the reader a short message.

Step 3: Limit Quotations

It wastes Internet bandwidth to include long quotations in your email, and it also wastes space on the hard drives of your computer, and those of the recipients. It can even waste time while the reader tries to find the pertinent section of the quoted material and your comments. See the tutorial, "Trimming down quotes."

Step 4: Watch Your Language

Keep your audience in mind when sending potentially offensive material. Before you send that dirty-joke email, remember that some parents share email accounts with their children.