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America Online), in which case it should be written as the trade
name dictates, usually solid and capitalized.

Capitalization according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
“The essential distinction in the use of capitals and lower-case letters
beginning words lies in the particularizing or individualizing
significance of capitals as against the generic or generalizing
significance of non-capitals. A capital is used with all proper nouns,
that is, nouns that distinguish some individual person or thing from
others of the same class... Most proper nouns used not in the primary
significance but in a derived, secondary, or special sense (as
cashmere, the fabric) are written without capitalization.”

First names and Titles.

If your correspondent uses your first name, then by all means use
theirs. But, should you be the first to do so? Many people do not want
such immediate informality in a business situation, especially in the
international arena. Business people in many countries find the
friendly nature of Americans, for example, somewhat over-bearing at
first.

Options

1. If you initiate the contact and want to keep it formal, use title (Mr.,
Ms, with or without the abbreviation period.) If you want to be
informal, it's your decision, being the first to write, but be ready to
switch if your correspondent replies formally.
2. For international e-mail, err on the side of caution and write
formally.
3. Or, send your first message without salutation. “Dear Friend,” “Hi
Neighbor” and such, is not recommended for business. If you are
not sure what to use, use nothing. “Dear Webmaster” is okay, if
you are sure you are writing to the webmaster.
4. When replying, be guided by your correspondent's signature. If
they have signed a single name (probably their given name), you
may address them accordingly. If both given and family names are
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