Email correspondence with potential advisors?

[zhtmahtm]

Hi all,

So I'm in the process of contacting potential PhD advisors, and some of them responded me - encouraging me to apply, asking me if there's any questions for them, etc. Am I supposed to answer these email even if I don't have any specific questions at this point? (I guess I'm confused because I don't want to send 'spams' to these people, but it is considered polite in my home country to respond back to professors to let them know that I read their response even if I don't have anything special to say, and I'm not sure if this also applies in the US)

Any advice would be appreciated!

[fuzzylogician]

You can reply with a "Thank you!". No need to make up questions if you don't have any at the moment. 

See here for more on the "do I answer with "thanks" or not say anything" question, which plagues people not only as applicants but as students as well: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/68059-email-etiquette/

[fuzzylogician]

Also, this: 

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1047