More than half of Web users make judgments about the sender of an e-mail based on the language they use, says GMX.

According to the free Webmail service's 'E-mail Britain' study, 40 percent of Brits make judgements about a sender's intelligence, while 20 percent said they determine the sender's age from the content of the e-mail. A further 16 percent said they make assumptions about people's social status from the language they use in an e-mail.

The research revealed that younger Web users make more assumptions about intelligence, age, and social status than older surfers. Meanwhile, one in three Brits admitted to adapting the language and style of their e-mail to create their own identity.

GMX also said that e-mail is frequently used by Brits to avoid stressful face-to-face or telephone conversations. Of those surveyed, 27 percent said they prefer to use e-mail to converse with companies that make them nervous while 36 percent revealed they would use e-mail in a bid to ask someone on a date.

The study also found that 26 percent of women hide their true feelings by using emoticons in e-mails, compared to just 13 percent of men.

"E-mail is today a highly valued means of communication for most Britons. Most people now make social judgements based on the e-mails they receive and care about their own e-mail identity, which means that an individual's approach to their e-mail has never been so important," said Eva Heil, managing director of GMX.

(PCW)