[lug] e-mail etiquette

Matt Clauson mec at dotorg.org
Thu Oct 4 10:42:58 MDT 2001


On Thursday 04 October 2001 10:10, Kyle Moore wrote:
> 1. Is it email or e-mail?

Does it come in an envelope with batteries?  No?  Then in isn't 
e(lectronic)-mail...  It's email.

> 2. When quoting the original message in a reply is it correct to put
> your message above or below this quoted content?

If you're reading this, then you can probably figure it out...  
However, I find it annoying, at best, and impossible, at worst, if 
someone replies ABOVE the quoted content...  So you have to scroll down 
to refresh your memory.  Unfortunately, this is the default with 
outlook, partially due to stupid user error, and partially due to the 
way it functions.

I prefer responses inline, point by point...  No nasty having to 
remember what all is in the original message when you're reading the 
reponse -- you can SEE what they're responding to.

> 3. What is the appropriate signature identifier? I understand that
> some systems use "---" as an identifier that what comes next is the
> signature.

As I understand it, the traditional "signature", which I think 
originated with Usenet, was demarcated by the --- above it...  I use 
that for machine automated blocks of information, such as contact info, 
or a tagline.  For my personalized signature (effectively what I'd 
write if I were signing it on paper), I use --mec.

> 4. Is it web site, website or web-site?

website.  Spaces take up too much space that can be used for something 
else.

Now that I've really shot off my mouth...  :P

--mec



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