Netiquette
 

Here are some tips to help you manage e-mail  - Accepted e-mail practice

  1. Subject-Give a Clue
    It is very helpful for the person receiving e-mail to know a little about the message. Always include a subject - a few short descriptive words to indicate the content of the e-mail.
    However please note that whenever you are asked to send e-mail to the group, we will provide a hyperlink (in bold and underlined) that you can click to send a mail. This will open a message automatically with the correct subject heading for the mail and insert the correct e-mail address. If you do not use this link then your activity will not be recorded as having been submitted.
  2. Flame Mail
    Do not send something in an e-mail that you would not say directly to the person or persons involved. Do not use inappropriate language. This is known as flame mail.
  3. Check it BEFORE You Send it!
    Once you push the send button, your e-mail has gone to the recipient. You cannot get it back. Check your e-mail BEFORE you send it!
  4. Responding to Questions
    When replying to a question, or series of questions, it is helpful to include the question they asked with your response below it.
  5. Emoticons
     The person reading our mail cannot detect our emotions or tone of voice. For that reason, emoticons (emotions + icons)  are often used. Some of the most common ones you will see are (Tip your head sideways to see them!): smiling :-) winking ;-)   laughing :-D   sad :-(
  6. The Number One New User Mistake
    NEVER USE CAPITAL LETTERS. THIS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING.
  7. Ignore Chain Mail
    This refers to message which ask / tell you to pass on the message to 20 other users or you will receive bad luck. This is  nonsense - do not participate in this as people generally do not like to receive these messages.
  8. Ignore Urban Legends
    Urban legends are messages which ask you to respond to help a "poor sick boy" or something like that. Most of these are just stories and new users often fall for this. Ignore these messages.
  9. Greet Nicely
    It is only polite to start a letter with a greeting so Dear Xoliswa or Hi Susan is an acceptable way to start e-mail messages also.
  10. Sign off Nicely
    Often new users forget to say who they are – so the receiver does not know who the mail is from – especially if you are writing from an institution where your address is a number or an abbreviation.  It is a good idea to change this – if you want to change that number to your name, in Pegasus – go to Tools, Options and then Personal name.

E-mail Management

  1. Throw It Out!. After you have read it, replied to it, dealt with it, or ignored it - delete it! If there is an e-mail that you might have to refer to in the future, save it in a folder. However, you should review your folders every few months and throw out messages, which are no longer useful to you.
  2. Remember, e-mail is not private communication. Your e-mail correspondence will have your e-mail address attached to it. Other people may also gain access to it and read the contents.
  3. Check e-mail daily and reply to mail as soon as possible. 

Enjoy the online chatting with your group - it is the fun part.

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