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E-mail has created a new frontier in communication. It’s faster and cheaper than sending paper-and-stamp letters, and the sheer ease of sending of e-mail encourages a certain informality. It’s now possible to dash off a note to pretty much anyone we choose-from the president of the company to your long-lost cousin. This opens up exciting new territory, but it’s wise to learn a few rules of the road before rushing in.

1. Don’t shout

   Typing with ALL CAPS in e-mail is the electronic equivalent of shouting and is considered bad manners.

2. Be brief

   Keep your e-mail as brief as possible. Your message will be clear-and more welcome-if you say what you mean in the fewest possible words. Lengthy messages that flow through screen after screen are less likely to be read by busy people.

3. Write clear headlines

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   The subject line of an e-mail form is intended to let the recipient know at a glance what the e-mail is about. Subject lines such as “a question” or “hi” are unhelpful and can be downright annoying to those who prefer to sort and prioritize e-mails before opening them. A descriptive subject line is a big help to the reader.

4. Cool off

   Never give in to the temptation to fire off an angry or sarcastic message. A tap of the “send” button makes this easy to do, but making amends afterward may be more difficult. Use your “save draft” file to hold messages until you are calm enough to reread before sending.

5. Forward selectively

   A joke that’s new and hilarious to you might not be to someone who’s already seen it or to someone who’s so busy that extra e-mail is a nuisance. Don’t get in the habit of routinely forwarding jokes and various other e-mails to everyone on your address list; send them only to those you’re certain will appreciate receiving them.

6. Reply sparingly

   Not every e-mail requires a reply and some need only a word or two. If you want to let the sender know you received something, a brief “Got it, thanks” is perfectly fine.

7. Use good judgment

   If you’re writing messages at work, be careful. Company e-mail can be retrieved and read and should not be considered private.