Sending e-mail is almost like picking up the phone and having a conversation nowadays, but how can you be sure you're using it as you intend and without offending anyone?

Not so much about not 'offending anyone' but being more considerate to people we are bothering. The web is mostly shared space and we all need to be less annoying.

Good advice to pass along.

A question for you, though--how is "using only one e-mail address" a common e-mail mistake?

Ah, some people use their personal email addresses to send business or business-related emails. It would be annoying to receive emails at work if they were from "olygamous_purple@gmail.com">polygamous_purple@gmail.com" or "qt_me3424683@yahoo.com," right? Unless of course you're in a more... creative line of work. But the email addresses I gave are far from creative, hehe.

Hmm.. ugly formatting. Wonder why that happened to "polygamous_purple."

Don't give away everyone's e-mail address: People may not appreciate being copied on mass e-mails that give other recipients access to their e-mail address. Use the bcc (blind carbon copy) feature to keep recipients addresses private.

This is the one that drives me nuts! I hate it when I see my email addy in the cc line with a dozen or more others of people I don't even know!

"Sending e-mail is almost like picking up the phone and having a conversation nowadays, but how can you be sure you're using it as you intend and without offending anyone?"

You are right haraya! Somebody can misunderstood our intentions. There are strong culture differences, what are funny for the ones are not funny for the others....If not, ask to Salman Rushdie.

What you quoted in your comment came from cbs

True, fernandobrule, we do have to be clear about our actions as much as people are trying to be more receptive of different cultures. Rushdie:

The mélange of culture is in us all, with its irreconcilable contradictions. In our swollen, polyglot cities, we are all cultural mestizos.

Ah, some people use their personal email addresses to send business or business-related emails. It would be annoying to receive emails at work if they were from "olygamous_purple@gmail.com">olygamous_purple@gmail.com">polygamous_purple@gmail.com" or "qt_me3424683@yahoo.com," right? Unless of course you're in a more... creative line of work. But the email addresses I gave are far from creative, hehe.

I see! I'd forgotten about "personal" email addresses and how inappropriate many would be if used for business. Your email address can really reveal a lot about you, can't it?!

I find I'm misunderstood enough in face to face with the added benefit of inflection, tone and facial gestures. Thank God for smileys. ; - )