E-mail mistakes that make you look bad

I get an awful lot of e-mail. Sometimes, people are looking for help with their computers. Some of it is fan mail.

Other folks are mad about something I said or wrote. Add to this the barrage of press releases and an occasional blast from the past when a former classmate or ex-boss drops me a note.

After facing this tidal wave of electronic words for several years, as well as owning my own business, I've developed some strong opinions about e-mail and correspondents.

Here are eight easily avoidable mistakes you should know about to keep your image and inbox in tip-top shape.