THE PURPOSE OF INTERNET
AND E-MAIL
Life without the Internet and e-mails doesn’t seem
possible, yet not so long ago the only instant communications
we had were the telephone and fax machines. The Internet
has had a relatively brief, but explosive history so far.
It grew out of an experiment begun in the 1960’s
by the U.S. Department of Defence. The DOD wanted to create
a computer network that would continue to function in
the event of a disaster such as a nuclear war. If part
of the network were damaged or destroyed, the rest of
the system still had to work. It was the forerunner of
today’s Internet.
In 1985 the Nationals Science Foundation NSF created
a series of networks for research and education communication.
Corporations began to build their own networks, which
they linked to the Internet.
The Internet revolutionised communication. Many buyers
or prospective buyers of services and products prefer
this mode of communications because they can read marketing
literature at their leisure, without being pressured into
buying. A phone call is always an interruption and a live
face-to-face call is not only time consuming, but also
an opportunity for the visitor to put unwanted pressure
on the buyer. The Internet is an ideal tool for shopping
incognito.
The Internet may be a huge time-saver, but it does have
its own challenges regarding proper e-etiquette. It is
extremely difficult to monitor the use (and abuse) of
the Internet in an office setting because it breaks down
relationships and destroys trust. One needs to keep the
purpose
of the Internet and e-mails in mind when embarking on
a campaign to stamp out the abuse of this very valuable
resource in an organisation.
The Internet is an extremely useful resource in any office,
home, school or university. It gives you easy access to
almost any information you require – instantly.
The Internet is often the only source of marketing for
some companies and if used wisely, companies can educate
and train their staff through the Internet.
Companies have had to resort to regulating the use of
the Internet and e-mails through the company’s Code
of Conduct. Steps have had to be taken against employees
abusing the Internet and the use of e-mails in offices
around the world. Millions of people have to be trained
and educated regarding the proper use of the Internet,
e-mails and e-etiquette.
Let’s take a look at the purpose of using e-mails
in an office setting.
| 1. |
Emails
allow us to communicate and share information with
each other, our clients or prospective clients,
suppliers, advisers, branches, agents etc. |
| 2. |
Nobody can deny
the content of the e-mail, because it is written
down and the sender has a copy. |
| 3. |
Attachments can
be sent instantly, which normally would have had
to be faxed or posted. |
| 4. |
Relationships
are built via e-mail. If the recipient’s right
to privacy is respected, mutual respect and trust
is built. |
| 5. |
E-mails allow
you to get your message across without any physical
intrusion of the recipient’s time or space. |
| 6. |
Very little time
is wasted through the correct use of e-mail. The
recipient can open the e-mail at his leisure without
pressure or interruptions. |
| 7. |
Organisations
can market their services or products instantly
and effectively to prospective or current clients. |
| 8. |
The Internet is
a cost-effective source. Thousands of prospective
buyers can be reached in a very short period of
time. |
If the rules of e-etiquette are followed and respected,
the Internet can be an extremely powerful resource. Companies
need to get buy-in and commitment from staff to value
and respect the use of the Internet.
WHAT IS E-ETIQUETTE?
E-etiquette is the rules governing socially acceptable
behaviour during the use of the Internet and in the sending
of e-mails.
| 1. |
Add
your signature
to the end of all your e-mails. Your e-mail address
does not necessarily tell the recipient who you
are and where you are from. |
| 2. |
Start the e-mail
by greeting
the recipient by name. |
| 3. |
Always include
additional contact
details such as landline, cell phone
and fax numbers in your e-mail correspondence. |
| 4. |
When sending attachments,
keep in mind that it takes time to download and
sending more than two attachments may be information
overload. |
| 5. |
Use a meaningful
and appropriate subject
heading. Let the recipient know
what your e-mail content is. Trying to “fool”
the recipient into reading your mail with a misleading
subject heading will only result in you alienating
the person. |
| 6. |
Don’t be
tempted to constantly ‘copy’
people ‘just in case’ they need the
information. Bombarding people with forwarded e-mails
is a no-no. |
| 7. |
Indicate quotes
by using “quote
marks” when you quote something
or someone. |
| 8. |
Abbreviations
are not always a good idea. The recipient may not
know that “FWIW’ means “For What
It’s Worth”. |
| 9. |
Don’t type
full sentences in upper
case. The recipient WILL FEEL THAT
YOU ARE SHOUTING AT HIM/HER. |
| 10. |
Avoid the use of too much punctuation!!!!????
One is enough. |
| 11. |
Use good grammar
and spelling. You may give the impression
that you are not sufficiently qualified if you send
badly written correspondence. Ask someone to check
your correspondence for you if it is a weakness. |
| 12. |
Always refer
to your recipient’s original e-mail
message. For example, this can be done by writing
“thank you for your request for information
regarding delivery of our newspaper”. |
| 13. |
Use ‘spell-check’
before sending your e-mails. The recipient may feel
that you don’t care enough about making sure
that your correspondence is perfect. |
| 14. |
Be as brief
and detailed as possible. Time-consuming
e-mails trigger thoughts of “this is a waste
of my time” and “do I need this?” |
| 15. |
Do not send e-mails
when you are upset
or angry. Your emotional state can
be detected and writing an unkind letter is not
conducive to relationship building. Remember that
an e-mail may be used against you as it is legally
binding. |
| 16. |
Do not assume
that the recipient is in office. It may take some
time to get a reply. |
| 17. |
Remember also
that an e-mail has no
body language or emotions. You may
mean one thing but the recipient may understand
another. The use of ‘emoticons’ is not
a good idea for business correspondence. It may
be viewed as childish or unprofessional. Being abrupt
in your e-mails may be construed as rudeness –
even when it was written with good intention. |
| 18. |
Keep your e-mails
short and to the point
without sounding abrupt. |
| 19. |
Displaying good e-etiquette will build
relationships and help you to market
your company, it’s services and products. |
| 20. |
When asking for
something, say please and always thank the recipient
politely. Displaying good
manners is a necessity – even
in cyberspace. |
| 21. |
Keep
the layout simple. Using arty fonts,
too much colour or too many graphics may result
in the meaning of the message being lost. |
| 22. |
There is no such
thing as a privacy
in e-mail. Companies are legally allowed to check
all e-mail correspondence – incoming and outgoing. |
| 23. |
Marketing your
company or products through e-mail may be viewed
as ‘spam’.
If the recipient asks to be removed from your database,
do so immediately. |
| 24. |
Most companies
allow their staff to use their internet and e-mail
facilities for limited private
use. Taking advantage or abusing
this privilege may result in bad performance appraisals
or worse case scenario, losing your job. |
| 25. |
Some people love
receiving jokes and
witty e-mails, however flooding
people with useless and irrelevant messages is unprofessional
and extremely irritating. |
| 26. |
Visiting pornographic
web sites and sending pornographic content
is completely unacceptable and can result in dismissal. |
By Elsabé Manning
