Globally Speaking

When you write email to people from other cultures, it's a good idea to be cautious about using humor. Concepts of humor vary widely among the world's cultures, and a joke that makes you roll on the floor laughing (ROTFL) can fall flat among people in another country. Self-deprecating humor can be particularly puzzling to people whose culture is concerned about losing face.

Sarcasm is treacherous even when you're sending email to someone in your own culture, for it can be interpreted as hostility. The danger is greater in an intercultural context, because sarcasm is alien to some cultures. The best advice: avoid it.

If you are in the habit of adding emoticons to your email, be aware that they are not universal. Japanese recipients in particular may have difficulty understanding your emoticons because their emoticon system does not require tilting the head. In Japan, parentheses are used to show the outline of the emoticon's face. Here are a few examples:

     (^.^)   happy

     (;_;)   crying

     (@_@)   surprised

     m(__)m  very grateful (bowing with both hands on a tatami mat)