Netiquette

You need to learn to use proper email etiquette or manners. It is called netiquette, and there are some basic things you should know and practice. These are social skills that are important for your jobs and future. These are skills we are required to teach you, and you are required to follow.

The school has provided you with a gmail account. It is for school use to help you email assignments to teachers and group members and for collaboration on assignments.

Note well: Nothing you do on a school computer is private. Your emails and your online activities at school can be monitored by staff. Keep that in mind.

Don't share your password, and don't allow anyone else to use your gmail.

General rules:

ALL CAPS means shouting Don't use all caps. Use proper captial and lower case letters.
Underline for emphasizing words
Watch your tone -- it's written, not verbal communication. Be more careful than in a conversation to be polite and clear. Emoticons may help with sending the right feeling with your comment.
Use complete sentences.
Check your spelling and your punctuation. Quote back previous email conversations if they help clarify what you are saying in the current email. Avoid xcessive punctuation like rows of exclamation marks..
Use an automatic signature with your first and last name. You can set one up in your email options.
Be sure to type in the subject line a brief explanation of what is included in the message--a few words.
Don't forward jokes and chainletters at school.
Don't believe every urban myth, cybermyth, hoax, etc. sent to you
(verify it before believing or forwarding it to anyone else by visiting--snopes.com is one place to check)
Do not use abbreviations like LOL, IMHO, TTFN, etc. with school emails to avoide confusion. If you need to use emoticons (smiley faces, etc.), they can sometimes help the reader know if you are being humorous. Rude emoticons are to be avoided..
No flaming. Flaming is a word war with another email correspondent. It is not okay to attack someone via email.

About attachments:

If you are sending an attachment, it is a good idea to mention it in the email.
You can attach your work to your emails that you need to send to the teacher or to members of your group. if you don't know how, ask a librarian to help you.
Don't share attachments that are too large or that will harm a computer.
If you see an attachment that ends in .exe--do not open it. Delete it.
If you see an attachment or a link that looks questionable, don't open it. If you aren't sure, ask a librarian to help you decide whether or not to open it.

About Reply/Reply All

Be sure to use the correct button. If your message is for only one person in a group, do not use the Reply All button.

About Conversation Threads

All email conversations that continue are called threads. They should all stay on topic of the original subject of the conversation. What is the subject line of the conversation? If you have a new topic to discuss, open a new email with a new subject line and start a new thread. If you continue discussing a different topic in someone else's email, you have hijacked their thread.