in order of importance – remember them:

• NEVER EVER INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL EMAIL MESSAGE WITH YOUR REPLY: I suggest that you set your mail program so that it does not automatically include the previous message. If you do not, then you must MANUALLY remove the quoted material before responding. Answer in context, and quote only the tiniest phrase at the top of the email if necessary.
• ALWAYS PLACE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE IN THE SUBJECT LINE: Don’t just press “reply” without checking the subject to reflect the content of your mail. If you get the digest version, you ALWAYS have to replace the “digest #” with a subject line.
• NO ONE LINERS: If you can’t formulate an articulate paragraph don’t bother posting. In other words, don’t even THINK of sending anything similar to the following: Send messages like these directly to your intended party.
  

  “Welcome to the list.”
  “ROTFLMAO!!!!!”
  “I’m so happy for you.”
  “Yeah me too, Patti!!”
  “Sorry I can’t help.”
  “I agree with you.”
  “Thanks for the info.”
  “I’m RSVPing for the party.”

  And by the way, don’t be a moron and post this:

  “I don’t want this to be a one-liner, because Denise will be mad. So I’m stretching this email to 3 sentences. Hi everyone!”

• ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR SIGNATURE: Remember, hitting reply posts to the WHOLE group, so make it convenient for others to send you private responses. NOTE the difference between public and private mail:
  

  PUBLIC > I have a couch for sale. PRIVATE > What color is it?
  PUBLIC > You’re all invited to a party! PRIVATE > Damn I can’t make it.

• DON’T BE LAZY: If you accidentally delete a message don’t post to the group and bother everyone by asking for it again. Just go to the SCAMP Members Area and click on Recent Messages to see a copy of it.
• COMBINE SHORTER REPLIES: Read ALL your mail first and combine your responses in ONE post. People who have nothing better to do than sit at the computer and respond to every single email AS it comes in, have diarrhea of the keyboard, and will become unpopular very quickly. Members will start deleting your messages without even reading them, so better to comment on a few things in ONE email.

• QUICK! TAKE ME TO THE NEXT PAGE

• Duh! Do you really expect me to remember all this?
  No, um… not if you’re a dunce. Click the pointy hat to join others like you.