Further to my previous issues this subject continues - part IV. This month I'll
share on Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) field and the use of backgrounds for your emails.
The use of Bad language in emails will also be mentioned.
Many people do not understand the function of the BCC field in their email programs.
When you set up a new message, if you cannot view the BCC field after TO: and CC:
then click on View to see if you can add it to your current view, or check your
Help file for the program you use for assistance.BCC is an old typing term - 'Blind
Carbon Copy'. It means a copy of a letter or document that is being sent to someone
not showing on the original addressee or distribution list. To use BCC in email
means that recipients only see their address on received email and not the list
of people that you've sent the email to.I often receive emails from people in business
who put every single recipient address in the TO: or CC: fields, when in fact they
should be placed in the BCC: field. Your distribution list should be kept private
so you are not exposing firstly, who your clients are, and secondly, their email
addresses, should a spammer or someone unscrupulous come across the email. If you're
sending out a newsletter, or a merged letter by post you wouldn't have your full
address list or database included with that mail for all to see - so why do it with
your email?
Backgrounds There is a great supply of backgrounds now available for use in various
email programs - which help make your emails look more attractive and less boring.
However, some backgrounds would be better used as wallpaper on your computer desktop
and make it difficult to read the email message you are sending. If you want to
use them, keep them for family and friends, but stick with fairly plain backgrounds
for business email. I like to use those that have a simple corner frame, or a side
border with a pale background but never a background that has a print across the
whole of the email that makes it difficult to read the text. And if you are replying
to an email that uses a background give some consideration as to whether it should
continue to be there or whether the background should be deleted before sending
the email response.
Bad Language On occasion over the past few months I've noticed some messages
with bad language posted to online discussion groups that are usually maintained
for business purposes, i.e. those groups that are designed to assist people with
their line of business. Whilst I appreciate that we all get annoyed with some things
I really do not feel that bad language has a place in a public forum that is used
for business. Perhaps this might be an old fashioned value but I doubt that people
would write a business letter using bad language so I cannot understand them doing
the same when posting a message to a business group. Think carefully when writing
your email - is the language you are using something that might offend another person?
Could the message get in front of someone you'd like to do business with? How would
you like them to think of you? It only takes a moment to think about what you're
written and to read it again before sending it on.
