Email is the main reason so many people are online.  As long as everyone shows a little consideration and adheres to a few friendly guidelines, we can make this online community a happy one.

Email is fine for getting a message across and sorting out meetings, but it can be a bit dull, which is where file attachments come in. For instance, if you see a funny cartoon on the Net that you'd like to share with your mate, by all means send it, but check that it's fine by them first. Their email account may have a limit on such things ? they may only be able to accept straight text, or files up to a certain size.

Also be aware that there are limits to the amount of data people are willing to download. As a rule of thumb, keep your attachments under 256k ? a one minute download with a 56k modem. If you need to send something bigger, contact the other person first and check that they really want it and know how long it will take them to download. You may want to break it up into several small