5 fatal mistakes you don't want to make in emails

Mailing is, I think, my least favorite hobby. I never do it in my free time, only for work. And in my work, I find it quite useful because I don't feel like calling or texting for every little thing. I just wish I had some sort of filter that would only give me the messages that I can or need to do something with.

In the past, I even used to email on a friendly basis, which now feels a bit like saying you have a pen pal. My best friend was doing an internship at sea, so I would email letters to his supervisor, and they would print them out for him. Good lord, what must that man/woman have read in juicy stories.

But you can make serious mistakes in your emails, let me go through them with you.

1. Misspelling a name
My name is fodder for mistakes, even though you could easily find the correct spelling. Adelina, Adelien, Adaline, Addeline. The last one even gives me hives. Just Google it for safety. Very occasionally, I also receive an email addressed to someone else, which is just plain bad luck.

2. The autocorrect
Always read your text again. How embarrassing is it when suddenly ‘whore’ appears instead of ‘here’? Besides being sloppy, it also sounds like you didn't take the time to respond properly.

3. CC, go away
Unnecessarily putting people in CC is a cardinal sin. Reply all might even be worse.

4. Don't email when someone can see you
I don't mean that you should secretly start emailing, but emailing questions and comments while you're in the same room is really forbidden. Unless your colleague is in deep concentration and has a big do-not-disturb sign up. Otherwise: just walk over (when we're back in the office).

5. Take it easy with the smileys
Let's maintain the rule that you can only use emoticons after you've had a drink with someone. But even then, it's questionable whether it adds anything to an email. And if you really can't help yourself, use the typed ones and not the whole yellow ones.

P.S.: By the way, never send me emails that are longer than two paragraphs. If you even dare to do so now.