Control spam. In one respect, this is your own concern. If you are happy wading through 50 bogus messages each day and deleting them one at a time, it should be nobody else's business. In fact, controlling spam is the responsibility of anyone who seeks to be a responsible recipient. If you follow a random method of ditching spam, the chances of deleting something important increase. So I might send a compelling message you will not read because you are deleting everything that doesn't look important. (This also relates to the above rule about clarity. If I follow that path, the chance of confusion with spam decreases).
Manage attachments. With increased bandwidth, you can now send attachments without asking permission. In most cases, a recipient can handle a 2 MB document or picture (although I still draw the line at large PowerPoint files). Attachment etiquette, however, is governed by some overlapping rules: Don't send anything stupid or irrelevant that will not enhance the recipient's life in some way. And if you send pictures, decrease their size so they don't fill the screen after the download.
Pace communications. It once was true that you had to always answer any message right away. To do so proved your commitment to the importance of the message. Today, receiving a message doesn't require you to jump up and provide an immediate response. You can wait a day, a month, or however long it takes for the motivating spirit to arrive. There are people who require an immediate answer, while some deserve a monthly missive. The trick is telling the difference, and pacing the messages for maximum effect. With some people you can exhaust your interest in them with two weeks' worth of daily messages. Send one a month and you can drag it out for a year and because there will be more to say.
Think before sending. There are still some absolute rules. Don't send flames, as you will regret them later. Don't send jokes; we've heard them all before. Don't send broadcast messages; if it's not addressed directly to me I don't want it. And I will lose respect for the sender. In a broader sense, any message that is irrelevant, unnecessary or stupid should stay in the drafts folder. These are subjective judgments. But taking a minute before sending each message to decide if it is really necessary saves everybody time.
If you have questions or suggestions for Charles Bermant, you can contact him by e-mail at cbermant@seattletimes.com. Type Inbox in the subject field. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.
