Electronic mail, known to everyone as email, is "the technology of sending and receiving electronic messages over phone lines by computer"(Marty Foley). Any person, who has access to the Internet has email. An estimated twenty to sixty million people have Internet access, and the numbers drastically increase yearly. It is the fastest growing way of communication of this day. As more people begin using email, as well as companies who are becoming technologically inclined, they are beginning to discover the great advantages of it. But, with these advantages also come a few drawbacks. Many companies are beginning to use this as their main form of communication with other companies, but some seem to forget that email is an electronic letter, and they do not realize the need for etiquette. .
Kaitlin Duck Sherwood best explains the qualities email possesses; "email is cheaper and faster than a letter, less intrusive than a phone call, less hassle than a FAX." She also makes a good point that with the use of email, there is no longer a time zone and location issue when trying to notify someone. She believes that email has great capabilities because of its speed and broadcasting ability. Also, because email has such a fast turnaround time, it is much more conversational than the average letter. Though, because of the fast turnaround time compared to a letter, email tends to be sloppier. This has to do with the fact that people are able to respond so quickly and ask questions on anything that seems confusing. .
The sloppiness of email can be very acceptable in some businesses, but not at all in others. It really depends on the type of organization, its atmosphere, and especially to whom you are writing the email. It is acceptable to write unprofessionally to another coworker, if you are asking them when they want to meet up for lunch, but if you are writing to your boss about a business related topic, it would be more acceptable to use proper letter writing skills.
