A novel email rating system for enabling a user to rate an email based on characteristics selectable from several categories. In one example embodiment, a sender's email is received by an email receiver. The sender of the email is identified. If the sender is a person whose emails are to be rated by the receiver, cumulative ratings and other information associated with the sender and the recipient are retrieved from a database over a network. The retrieved ratings for the sender are displayed to the receiver either on the email or in a pop-up window. Various other information and selectable options are also displayed for the receiver. After reading the email, the receiver can rate the email in any of a plurality of defined categories such as, for example, usefulness, educational, motivational, helpfulness, productivity, spelling/grammar.