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Email Etiquette

Style

Keep messages short and to the point.
Use blank lines between paragraphs to improve readability.
Use mixed upper- and lower-case letters. Text in all upper-case letters is more difficult to read than mixed-case, and USING ALL UPPER-CASE IS CONSIDERED TO BE SHOUTING. You can emphasise a word or phrase by using *asterisks*, or you may want to SHOUT a single word or two.
Do not use formatting such as bold, italics, or HTML tags in email. Not all mail software interprets these as intended.

The University does not monitor email messages, but no email system is totally private - think of an email message as being similar to a postcard. It is unwise to send very personal or sensitive information in email.
Use an appropriate subject line; this will help the recipient locate or file your message.
Pay attention to grammar and spelling. While email is less formal than letters, people will form an opinion of you based on what you write. It is a good idea to spell check and read over every message before sending it.

Always remember that a person will receive what you send. Before sending a message consider whether you would say what you have written to the person's face.
If you receive mail that makes you angry, calm down before replying. As a general rule, wait 24 hours before replying to a message that makes you angry. A good night's sleep and a new day often provide a fresh perspective on what may have seemed to be an inconsiderate comment. If you really can't help typing a furious response, don't send it immediately. Walk around the block or have a cup of coffee, then re-read your message and tone it down before sending it.
If you're asking for something, say "please". And if someone does something for you, it never hurts to say "thank you".

If you are replying to a message, it is a good idea to include the relevant parts of the original message in the reply. If you receive a message that just says "OK", with no context, will you remember exactly what you asked? Many email packages, including Webmail and Eudora, allow a standard character, usually the right-angled bracket ">", to precede all text included from the original message. However, don't include more of the original message than is needed to set the context. If you receive your original message back, with only "I agree" added at the bottom, this is both irritating and a waste of network resources.
Pay careful attention to where your reply is going; if a personal message ends up on a mailing list, it may be embarrassing for you and annoying for the other list-members.
If you receive an objectionable email via a mailing list, it is probably best to ignore it. But if you must reply, reply only to the sender, not the mailing list. Offensive, angry replies which themselves lead to complaints may lead to disciplinary action. If you do receive an email which is inappropriate, please forward a copy to: it-abuse@unimelb.edu.au for further action.