Some guidelines for high-tech manners KNIGHT RIDDER NEWS SERVICE February 6, 2001 Want to get ahead in your career? Impress your clients?  Here's what the experts say is the proper etiquette for the high-tech workplace.  E-mail Don't write all in capital letters. It's the equivalent of electronic yelling. Don't write all in lower case because it's more difficult to read. The subject line should be specific, one that will attract attention among the dozens of e-mails your recipient will wade through each day. When you receive a reply and send another e-mail, update the subject line so the reader won't accidentally delete it. Be brief. Keep e-mail messages to the length of one computer screen. In general, people don't like to scroll, and they like to see what they're in for from the start. Use appropriate grammar and spelling, as well as a proper greeting and salutation. Don't check your e-mail, type on your keyboard or click your mouse when you're talking on the phone with someone. Sensitive information, such as comments about an employee's performance or salary information, should not be included in an e-mail. When you respond to an e-mail, include the message you're responding to. People are dealing with dozens and dozens of e-mails a day and may not remember it. Don't send off-color jokes or offensive materials in an e-mail. If you're going to be out of the office for an extended period of time, set up an automatic reply function on your e-mail to let people know when you'll return. Don't write anything in an e-mail that you don't want your boss to see or that you wouldn't want placed on the company's bulletin board. Don't e-mail a thank-you note -- although it's better than no thank-you note at all.  Voice mail Plan what you're going to say. Speak slowly when leaving messages and repeat your phone number twice, once at the beginning of the message and once at the end. Leave a detailed message, telling the person what you need and by when. Keep the content of your message appropriate to business, especially if others tend to check voice-mail messages for the person you're calling. If you need to leave detailed information, such as account numbers or lists of other phone numbers, send it in an e-mail or fax it so the person you're calling doesn't have to transcribe and risk making mistakes. Update your greeting regularly. If you don't, it leaves the impression that you're not checking your voice mail. If you're having trouble reaching someone, don't say, "We're playing telephone tag." It states the obvious and can sound like you're blaming the other person. Don't leave lengthy greetings, entertaining greetings or greetings that sound like advertisements for your business on your voice mail.  Wireless phones Use wireless phones as a polite way to keep in touch with the office, not to be intrusive. When in the office or in a meeting, turn your wireless phone off. Before you make a call in a public place, consider whether you're invading someone else's space. Use discretion about discussing certain business topics in front of others. You never know who is in hearing range. Wireless phones are not appropriate during business lunches or dinners. If you have to make or answer a call, step away from the table.  E-mailing across borders Be aware of time differences that affect how long it takes to receive a response. And keep in mind that certain cultures, such as Central American, South American and Mexican, may not be as quick to respond to e-mails as others. Slang is rarely universal. Use it with caution. Seasonal references are not universal. Our spring is someone else's fall. Spell out dates. To Americans, 2/10/00 is February 10, but to Germans it is October 2. Be careful when using abbreviations. They aren't universally understood. Avoid "emoticons" -- the smiley and frown faces. They may mean something different in other cultures. If you plan to communicate frequently with someone from another culture, learn all you can about values, beliefs and practices.  For example, Germans -- like Americans -- are direct, while Japanese are indirect and strategically ambiguous. Germans tend to be very thorough in their explanations, which might frustrate an impatient American.  Oral agreements are binding in some Arab cultures while written agreements are not. Copyright 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.