Email readers often sort their mail by subject, deleting uninteresting messages without reading them. If your subject line is inaccurate, your post may never be seen. Also, readers appreciate it when you let them know in advance if your message is long or off-topic.

Check the subject line before you send a message.

Have you ever been in a conversation when someone has made a point but continues to ramble just to keep the floor? Wouldn't it be cool if you could just stop listening and go on to the next message without wasting your time on a bunch of fluffy nonsense? With email you can (and probably will) just go on to the next message.

Limit your post to 1-2 screens of text. You don't have a captive audience.

Not every computer handles messages in the same way. Messages that look perfect on your screen may arrive completely jumbled on the reader's screen. An easy way to help avoid such problems is to limit the length of your lines to no more than 65 characters.

If your email program doesn't automatically wrap text, press return after every 10-12 words to make sure your lines are short enough.

It's a good idea to skip lines between paragraphs and limit yourself to 5-10 lines per paragraph. The extra space is easier on your readers' eyes.

Avoid writing large chunks of text.

To orient readers, it's often necessary to quote a section of text from another message as a frame for your response. Be sure to quote accurately, and cite the author, or you may hear complaints.

Quote only as much text as necessary to make your point.

Avoid using tabs, indents, etc. in your posts, because all computers will not respond to them in the same way.

Use an asterisk *before and after* a phrase for emphasis. You can underline _titles_ the same way.

Always put your name, your email address, and other important information in a "sig line" at the end of your message. Some programs will do this automatically. Don't let your signature become longer than your text, however, especially if you include catchy quotes, drawings, etc.

Think Carver, not Faulkner.

It seems silly to think about your audience when sitting in front of a hunk of plastic, but there really is someone on the other end. Remembering this fact will help you accomplish your goals on the net

IT'S NOT POLITE TO YELL. Typing in all caps is the fastest way to upset someone on email. Even if you want to upset someone, yelling is somewhat lacking in taste and sophistication.

Turn off your caps lock key before you start typing.

Angry or sarcastic messages can get you in trouble. You can flame someone in many ways, but they all boil down to being rude. Remember, you aren't anonymous on the net, and whatever you say can be printed and kept for future reference.

Wait 24 hours before sending that angry message.

In a world filled with "don'ts," it's nice to have a "do" :). Emoticons are those little faces that you see at the end of the line (look sideways). ;-) They're used to express your mood. If you feel you must be sarcastic, use an emoticon to let the reader know you're just fooling around. :o

Use emoticons sparingly, for informal situations only.

Reading email filled with spelling and grammar errors is a little bit like having a phone conversation with Donald Duck--it can get frustrating. It pays to double-check your messages for mistakes. And since many email programs don't have spell-check (some won't even let you correct mistakes), if you see someone else making spelling errors, go easy on them.

Just be careful.

It's so easy to create automatic "replies," you might find yourself talking to the wrong people. If you subscribe to an electronic mailing list, try to distinguish between messages of interest to one person and messages of interest to a group, and address them accordingly. You'll also want to distinguish between group messages and computer commands.

Before you send that message, double-check the address.

There's more to electronic communication than meets the eye. The message you read on screen did not miraculously jump from the sender's terminal to yours. Truth is, the message was packaged, routed, and distributed before you even thought about reading it. This community effort is even more apparent when you think of your campus email account. You're sharing the UCF mail server with lots of other people. It's kind of like living in an apartment. When you crank your stereo, the folks next door know about it.

Delete email you no longer need.

Email accumulates at an exponential rate (especially if you subscribe to mailing lists). In fact, even after you read a message, it's still stored in your mail directory until you get rid of it. Space is a valuable commodity, so you should delete any old mail. Conserving system resources helps us all.

Learn to check your disk quota so you know when you need to clean out your account.

Be sure to unsubscribe from lists you are no longer reading. This is especially important if you'll be away for an extended period of time. You can always rejoin the list later if you change your mind.

Save your mailing list instructions for future reference.