8.1. Business Documents http://www.ck12.org
Netiquette: Making a Positive Impression Online
Today, online communication has become the primary means of communication between many people. You are
probably familiar with a variety of online communications such as text messaging, instant messaging, and emailing.
This section will focus on email. Email has become a very important means of communication between friends,
members of clubs, student or volunteer groups, and teachers and students.
You may have been sending emails or other online messages for years. You may be thinking “I know how to send
email. Why do I need tips about how to communicate online?”
There are several reasons. First, when you are communicating face to face with someone, you can make clear
when you are joking or teasing by your tone of voice or facial expression. It is hard to communicate such emotions
or attitudes online without using emoticons, which may not be appropriate for some emails. Secondly, you must
always consider your audience when you send an email. How much does your intended reader know or need to
know regarding the email you are sending? Finally, have you thought about who else might see this email and what
impression it may have on them?
Professional vs. Private Email
Is there such a thing as private email? While you may consider an email message to your best friend to be “private,”
in reality there is no such thing as a “private” email. The moment you hit send, that email goes out to potentially
millions of readers. You may just be sending it to your best friend, but there is no way of knowing what your friend
may do with that message. He or she may post it on Facebook, MySpace, or forward it to someone without asking
your permission.
Professional Email for Students
You may be thinking, “I am a student. I’m not a professional. Why do I need to know about writing a professional
email?” While you may not be in the job market or have a job right now, there are times when you need to write
more formally. These should be considered professional emails.
When you send an email, you have a purpose in mind. When you send a professional email you want your reader
to pay attention to what you wrote. If your reader is impressed by your well-written email, he or she will be more
likely to give careful consideration to your message. Here are some tips to help you write effective emails.
- Your email address: Make a good first impression.
If you were to call your teacher on the telephone, would you begin talking without greeting him or her or identifying
yourself? You probably would not, especially if you wanted to make a good impression. Your email address and
subject line are your greeting when you send an email.
The first thing your readers will see is your email address. While it may be fun to have a cute or funky email address
for your friends, when you are communicating with teachers or prospective employers, a funky email address may
make the wrong impression. What do you think of the following email addresses?
- Itchymonkey
- Baddestboy
- Sweetnfoxy
- Porkyone
- Mafiaman
- Runswithscissors
- Sugarbaby
- Damitsara
- Slurpypig
While they are entertaining, they may be provoking thoughts that make the wrong impression. Look at your email