How to send and reply to email (CS Majors)

1. Email Is Not Mail:

Use email as a structured communication tool, not electronic mail. So please use points, not paragraphs.

2. Email Is Not Free:

Reduce Opportunity Cost of emails by :
Avoid unnecessary emails.
Keep messages concise.
Use clear and informative subjects.
Break messages into points and prioritize them.
Be polite and to the point.

3. When to Send Email:

First, check other sources like Google or Quora.
Wait for in-person opportunities if possible. #### For programmers:
Please test or debug code before asking questions via email.
Do not email this question:
What happens when I run the following code?
code here

4. Crafting the Email:

Subject Line: Informative and ideally under 72 characters. Place critical information in the subject. Message Format:

Use strategic whitespace: Paragraphs work well for essays.
If your email is an essay, go ahead and use paragraphs.
If not, put a blank line after every point, which usually means after every independent thought, and certainly after every question.
For example, don’t send the following:
I had some ideas about using X to do Y. Is that possible? It doesn’t seem possible to do X without doing W. I also thought we might be able to do A. I saw paper on B. Did you read it? I really like Q because R, S and T.
It should read:
I had some ideas about using X to do Y. Is that possible?
- It doesn’t seem possible to do X without doing W.
I also thought we might be able to do A.
I saw a paper on B. Did you read it?
Present points as a structured list. I really like Q because
(1) R;
(2) S; and
(3) T.
In short, shape the text to indicate the structure of your message.
Strategic whitespace makes a document less threatening to a reader.
Large blocks of text short-circuit reader attention.

Action Items: Place actionable tasks at the top for visibility.
Sorting: Prioritize critical points in the first few lines.
Brevity: Adhere to the “five sentences rule” for concise emails.

Replying to Emails:

Address specific points instead of replying at the top of the message.
For brief replies or single points, replying on top is acceptable.
Remove irrelevant parts of the original email.

5. Multiple Topics:

Use separate emails for distinct topics to streamline processing.

6. Manners:

Use “Please” and “Thank you” appropriately. A simple “Thanks!” can be more sincere than a formal closing.

How to send and reply to email (CS Majors)