E-mail, short for electronic mail, is a system in which a computer user can exchange messages with other computer users with a communications network. To use email, you must have access to a computer that is linked to the outside world..

It was only a short time ago that most of us started using email as an easy and convenient form of communication. The more we used it, the more we liked it. We could see the benefits as a personal form of communication, as well as an efficient and timely means of business communication.

One advantage for the E-mail used is that you send your message when it is convenient for you. It's available "24/7". E-mail is a thousand times faster than regular mail A message can go anywhere in the world in seconds!

Your recipient can respond at his or her convenience - no more telephone tag. E-mail is also cheaper by far. It lets you exchange vast amounts of information in expensively, regardless of geographical location. E-mail can be sent to many people at the same time, and you can participate in ongoing discussion on many subjects at the same time.

E-mail is what the experts call a nearly "frictionless" form of communication, which means it is easy to do. You don't have to go to a post office or even find a stamp. Just push a button and you can blanket the world with your thoughts.

Reluctance to use E-mail has faded away, and we have become more proficient and sophisticated with its use. We find that people of all ages and businesses of all types are using e-mail more often. Some of our earlier bad habits have persisted, and some new problems have emerged.

In the past, the most prevalent problem was information overload, which was aggravated by the wide-spread adoption of e-mail. New that the situation has become well-established, an overwhelming number of people and businesses are now on e-mail we have to deal with business e-mail, personal e-mail, and assorted varieties of "junk" e-mail.

As security professionals, it is our responsibility to send a positive e-mail message to our customers (or potential customers). Don't push that "Send" button until you are sure that your message represents a first-rate image for your business.

Take an active role in controlling your business e-mail's outbound flow. It is particularly important to educate every member of your staff to use business email wisely.

Here are some simple guidelines for electronic email etiquette. These are offered to highlight some important issues which affect the clarity of the electronic mail we send Electronic mail is about communication, so clarity should be our goal.

-   Use email only when it is the most efficient channel for your business need.

-   Keep an up-to-date address book YOU may be writing to someone with an address that is no longer valid.

-   When sending business-related email, a personal name on the first line of your text identifies better who the email ~s intended for.

-   When replying to an e-mail, pay careful attention to where your reply is going. Did you reply to one person of "reply to all"? It can be embarrassing for your business if the message ends up on the wrong mailing list. Ensure that your thoughts will be sent to the correct person, and to that person only!

-   Make sure you have a subject line in your message. Almost all mallets present you with the subject line when you browse your mailbox, it is often the only clue the recipient has about the content when filing emails or searching for messages. Make the subject line meaningful. For example, "Price Quote for Heavy-Duty Padlocks." With the overload of email that is received, a clear subject line is imperative.

-    Proofread your e-mail carefully. E-mail often contains typos and misspellings because it is so easy to produce and send. Spell-check programs which are built into many software packages can help, but should not be the sole source of proofreading.

-    Use correct grammar and spelling. Electronic mail is all about communication. Poorly worded and misspelled messages are hard to read and potentially confusing, if your words are important enough to write, then they are important enough to write properly.

-    If you are responding to a message, make sure you clearly refer to the original message's contents. Always include a descriptive subject line in your message such as: "Re: Proposal for Security System." Include enough of the original message to provide a context. Remember that electronic mail is not as immediate as a telephone conversation, and the recipient may not recall the contents of the ordinal message, especially if he or she receives many messages each day. Including the relevant section from the original message helps the recipient to place your reply in context. Include only the minimum you need from the original message.

-    A "signature" is a small block of text appended to the end of a message, which usually contains contact information. Always use a signature block, making sure it identifies who you are, your business name, e-mail address and includes alternative means of contact (phone, fax, etc.).

-    In general, keep to the subject as much as possible. If you need to branch off onto a totally new and different topic, then it is often better to send a new message.