I am new to the Internet, are there any rules and regulations on sending email that I should follow

asks JacksonC

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A. There are loose rules concerning netiquette - etiquette on the Internet - which people are expected to follow, although there are no steadfast rules and regulations for sending email. The main guideline in sending email is to assume that anyone can read it. It is easy to forward email messages without your knowledge, so exposure should be considered with any correspondence.

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Q. Can you explain some of the rules

A. The basic tenets of good behaviour in cyberspace are really quite obvious - and are the same as those you'd be expected to observe in everyday life, and often relate to emails, chatrooms and other forms of interactive communication.

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Politeness - Avoid rudeness at all times. Never send an email when you're angry or upset, you'll probably regret it and it will be too late to detract it. Also be aware that your tone may not be interpreted in the same way as it was intended, e.g. sarcasm often fails via email if you don't know someone very well, and can often backfire.

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Patience - Everyone was new to the Internet at sometime and it can take quite a bit of getting used to, so be patient with those that have yet to learn its nuances. And try to be patient if your network is running slowly or you keep getting knocked off - although this can be infuriating!

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Conciseness - Keep your messages concise and to the point - as it will save time and be more convenient for the recipient. Use acronyms.

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Subject Line - Always include a subject in the email, as it's the only label you can use to identify the content of an email if you receive lots. Keep these short and concise.

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Human rights - Avoid being racist, homophobic, sexist, etc or in any way offensive.

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Signatures - If you include a signature or contact details at the end of your email, keep them short.

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Attached files - If you intend to send someone a large file via email, check that it's OK with them before you send it. If the file is too big it can fill an inbox and prevent the recipient from opening any other files. Or, it can take a long time to open and then crash a computer if the recipient has insufficient software to cope with its size.

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In extreme cases, this is considered by some to be 'bandwidth theft' and will curry little favour. The word bandwidth is also often used synonymously with time, when it actually means the information-carrying capacity of the wires and channels that connect you to the Internet.

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Web links: include http:// before any web addresses that are quoted in an email as this will enable the recipient to link automatically to the page you've selected.

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Urgency - don't assume that other people share your urgency in answering an email, if you want a quick response detail this in your original mail. Do not send reminders continually as it can be very annoying.

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Chain mail - if you want to keep your friends avoid sending them chain letters as they can make people feel very awkward if they break the chain. In addition, 'funnies' i.e. a list of funny sayings, stories etc are not always welcome and not always considered funny. You can be considered a nuisance if you continually send these, so much so that when you send a normal email, from which you want a response, it may be ignored

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Q. Are there any rules regarding answering emails

A. The same rules as above apply, but try to delete some of the original message to keep replies short and sweet. Use the (>) symbol to quote text from an original message (omitting any that is irrelevant to your reply). This is most useful when used in threads - a thread is a string of responses to a single message�- and makes it easier to follow the flow of information, especially if you exchange several emails with the same person in one day. Also, delete any attachments before replying to an email.

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Q. Should I set up my email page in any particular format

A. Try to keep it simple: bold, italicised, centred and coloured text is often not translated to the recipient. Try to set your page (found in your preferences menu) to 70 characters per line; this will stop text falling off the page or onto another line. Allow spaces between paragraphs as it helps to break all your information into chunks, or use subject headers in CAPITALS to help pull topics out of the text. The use of capitals is meant to convey urgency or importance and should be avoided elsewhere as it is considered to be SHOUTING!

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Q. I've often heard the word 'spam' bandied about, what does it mean

A. SPAM is the practice of sending unsolicited bulk mail or junk mail. If you recognise it as such, simply delete it and avoid opening it where possible, as opening it will often send a message back that your email account is active and you're likely to receive more.

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Q. What is a flame war

A. A flame is an insulting, offensive or inflammatory message, usually sent by email. Where possible it should be ignored and thrown into the waste bin. If you respond to it you will be starting a flame war, and is in effect one or more people sending inflammatory emails.

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Q. How can I keep any email I send secure

A. There is no way of guaranteeing security in an email, presume that someone may be able to read it and bear that in mind when you're writing it. Never give any passwords, credit card details etc in an email, and only enter such information on a secure web site (denoted by an 's' in the URL i.e. https:// in the URL). Your credit card company will usually insure any monetary transactions or the site you'e buying goods from will, this can be checked in the terms and conditions of the site. Also, change your email password regularly.

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If you would like a full netiquette guide, the following sites have good information: http://www.darkmountain.com/netiquette/index, http://www.albion.com/netiquette/, http://jade.wabash.edu/wabnet/info/netiquet.htm and http://www.cochran.com/start/guide/Netiquette.html (which gives links to all sites on netiquette).

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If you have any other Internet and Technology related questions, please click here

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By Karen Anderson