Answer Sheet

The sample no-no message contained ten basic mistakes. Some of them were repeated more than once.

Unlike most email programs, WIN/YAT inserts the registered signature before you start typing. Make sure the cursor is in front of the signature before you begin typing.
Do not type spaces at the beginning of paragraphs. Email uses full block style.
An email message is not a conversation. "How do you do?" and "I'm fine, thank you" are inappropriate.
A very common mistake. Calling a Japanese teacher "Tanaka" is unthinkable, but students lose their sense of appropriateness when using a foreign language. Also very common are direct translations such as "Buda-teacher".
Words must not be cut in the middle. Some Japanese email programs are not designed for English, and will cut words mechanically. If you are not sure about the program you are using, try sending a message to yourself first.
Typing words in capital letters is unnecessary, and it looks as if you are SHOUTING. Capitalize the first letter only of names of people or places, or titles of books or movies. For example: John Smith, Las Vegas, Star Wars.
Remember to type a space after every comma or period. Also after other punctuation marks such as colons, semi-colons, etc.
Email doesn't use formal complimentary closes such as 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours truly'.
Any kanji characters in your message will turn into garbage when shown on a computer that doesn't support two-byte characters. Kanji characters include zenkaku punctuation marks. Make sure your computer is set to English input before you begin typing. Never use Japanese kanji in the subject line of your message.
If your email program adds signatures automatically, it's unnecessary to insert another one manually. Some programs add the signature after you have 'sent' the message. To check if your program does this, or to check how your signature looks, send a message to yourself.