If you have not checked out the post on The worst Self Defense Advice on the Net, this is the e-mail that really sparked me to action to create this blog. I received this bad advice about 20 times. I learned to just hit ‘Reply All’ and let people know real self defense tips.

Recently I have been sent a flux of bad e-mails. You know the type. Ones you can’t read because of html codes or ones that you have to open ten e-mail attachments to find the FWD. Each one of them says to forward to everyone on your list. Yet, some of the information in them is bogus! I know that you do not want to be one to pass along,bad e-mails or bogus information so I have today some e-mail etiquette tips.

1) If it is information that looks suspicious, check it out on Snopes.com. Here I have confirmed that, ‘In God we Trust,’ has not been removed from our money only moved to the edge of the coin, that ‘Starbucks’ is not unwilling to send coffee to our troops in Iraq, and that serial killers do not use tape recordings of crying babies to get you to open your doors. “When in doubt, check it out!”

2) If it is worth forwarding, it is worth telling others why your sending it. If it’s not worth your time to explain why you are sending it, it is not worth other’s time to read it.

3) If you have gotten it before and sent it, don’t send it again. Death is natural, let it die.

4) If you have to open several e-mails, send it directly from the last one you opened not the one sent to you so the next person doesn’t have to open all of them plus your’s.

5) Clean up any html code, or don’t send it. It is offensive to read messy forwards.

6) Be mindful, just because you have time to read stupid things with cute bunnies and chickees still floating around since Easter, doesn’t mean everyone else wants to.

7) Remember: All capital letters in e-mail, posts, bulletin boards etc. is considered yelling and rude by many people.

Set a purpose for your e-mail before you send it. Just because it is easy and funny, is not a purpose.

9) Sometimes it is appropriate to use an opener like, ‘hi,’ ‘Dear____’ sometimes it is not needed, don’t get stuck in an unconscious pattern of writing, just for speed.

10) With today’s spam filters, don’t assume people have gotten or read your mail. If it is important, follow it up with a call.

I am sure all of you have some tips too so add them below!

BE (Being in Excellence)