• Be brief. Get to the point quickly and clearly and then sign off.

• Cut and paste. In most email programs, when you use the "reply" function to respond to a message, the program copies the original message into your reply. This can be very useful, especially if you are directly answering questions asked in the original message. However, some people use this function like an electronic paperclip, creating emails that resemble a stack of "he said, she said" correspondence. This is not only unnecessary, but it increases the download time of the email and takes up more room on the receiver's hard drive. If you need to include information from the email you are responding to, use the "edit" functions of your program to cut and paste only the relevant passages, and erase the rest.

• Think before you copy or forward. You might have gotten a chuckle from a joke email someone sent you. That doesn't mean everyone on your mailing list will be equally delighted. Don't litter the information highway by sharing every email you receive. Copy people on a "need to know" basis, and forward interesting emails only to people who you know share that particular interest.

• Minimize formatting. Some email programs allow you to use multiple typefaces, graphics, and other design features to create eye-catching messages. The trouble is, if the recipient doesn't have similar software, all the formatting translates to gibberish sprinkled liberally throughout the email, often making the actual message unreadable. Most people simply hit the "delete" key when this happens. So keep it simple.