>> >> 1. Use plain text, not html. Seems like a lot of posters are using html. >> Hint for GMail web interface users -- HTML is your default. To switch to >> plain text, click the "Plain Text" link while composing an email. I believe >> that this setting is sticky (i.e. it will last between composing emails and >> between browser sessions). Use *bold* and SHOUT and "italics" if you feel >> the need to enhance your message, not their rich text equivalents... >> >> 2. Edit your responses. A lot of "Reply" messages include the entire text >> of the original email. I find myself spending a lot of time just scrolling >> down through a new email to get to the "new" text at the bottom. Assume that >> everyone is using an email client that is effective at following email >> threads. It's easy to "replay" the state of the conversation. There's no >> need to include the contents of entire discussion in every email... If >> you're only responding to point #5 in an email response, make things simpler >> for your readers by deleting points 1-4. Likewise, if you're only responding >> to point #1, delete 2-5 -- that way, I don't have to scroll down to the end >> of the email looking for anything more to read... This isn't dogma and be >> sure and use editorial discretion -- no need to reduce the size of a 5 line >> email. Also, be sure you leave enough text so that you're not altering >> someone's meaning by taking their statements out-of-context. >> >> Those are my big hitters, one additional minor point: >> >> 3. Don't hijack threads. If you use "Reply" to create a new message and >> change the "Subject" line, some email clients will still associate this new >> email thread, with the previous one. It's called "thread hijacking" and you >> end up with two logical threads of discussion on one physical thread. If you >> want to "fork" a new discussion topic (e.g. both "reply" *and* start a new >> subject), use "Reply" and copy/paste the text into a "New Message".
+1 all good points. Simon
