The etiquette rulebook was born 4,200 years ago, when Ptah Hotep prescribed proper behavior to ancient Egyptians. Netiquette, however, is a relatively new field. In E-Mail Etiquette, Samantha Miller sheds light on the dos and don'ts of attachments, mass mailings, personal and business e-correspondence, e-mail hoaxes, viruses, spam, and e-mail privacy. "E-mail should be the most polite form of communication ever invented," says Miller, the Internet manners expert for People magazine. Then why is so much of it so irksome? Miller's contributors complain about useless subject heads, unattached attachments, and those chain letters usually sent by one's mother. Miller herself weighs in on SHOUTING, signature lines, and emoticons. On-the-job e-mailers are advised never to write anything in e-mail "you wouldn't want to see tacked to the office refrigerator." Joke senders are counseled to "think of e-mail as a cocktail party.... You don't plant yourself in front of a group of partiers and tell jokes until they flee." Who wouldn't benefit from discussions about why spelling matters and when it's appropriate to e-mail a thank-you note? --Jane SteinbergIrritated by friends who clog your in-box with too frequent (and too frequently foolish) forwards? Confused about how to send an email to a potential client? E-Mail Etiquette has the answers to all of these questions and more. Loaded with tips and advice, this book will help readers navigate the tricky terrain of using e-mail to further their career, social life, and everything in between.