The Etiquette Edge

CHAPTER 14

E-Mail

Think Before You Send

Without question, e-mail is one of the great conveniences of modern society. At the same time, it can be overwhelming and intrusive, threatening to wash us overboard with its sheer volume and persistence. But however we feel about it, electronic mail is a fact of life in business and is a growing presence in our personal lives.

Communicating by e-mail has become the status quo in our wired society, and for good reason. Its advantages are many. Perhaps most obvious is its speed. With the click of a key, you can send a message from California to Cairo—unhampered by time zones and office hours and charges for long-distance calling. Far fewer rambling voice mails end up in our phone mailboxes, and telephone ...