As we blaze into the new millennium, technology continues it's rapid pace yet
most people and businesses are not realizing the consequence of e-mail. Even as
we increase our level of electronic communication, so goes the multitudes of new
e-mail and internet users flooding the bandwidth. Along with all this new hyper
growth comes new internet-based abuses and challenges that affect all of us personally
and professionally.
These days everyone receives too many e-mails. Unnecessary messages are annoying.
The information contained in this article suggests ways to become a solution to
the pollution, decrease spam and allow routine users to have higher levels of electronic
savvy. You'll also find out through our Top Ten Starts and Top Ten Stops how to
take the necessary steps to protect e-mail addresses from potential abuses.
TOP TEN STARTS: 1.Deleting most e-mails when you do not recognize the sender.
2.Compressing information down to concise points. 3.Identifying who you are in the
subject field. 4.Addressing distribution e-mails to yourself. 5.Placing addresses
in Bcc field when sending distribution e-mails. 6.Being respectful of other's e-mail
privacy and time. 7.Cleaning up e-mails if your intent is to pass them along. 8.Educating
yourself to increase your Internet savvy. 9.Forgiving others when they mess up.
10.Using spell check before sending e-mails.
TOP TEN STOPS: 1.Placing your entire e-mail database or lists into the To or
Cc field. 2.Using sarcasm and humor in some e-mails. 3.Opening e-mails with a "fwd"
or "fw" in the subject matter. 4.Using ALL CAPS or CAPS LOCK in your messages. 5.Writing
anything you don't want shared in public. 6.Changing e-mails addresses every so
often. 7.Sending unnecessary attached files. 8.Sending messages using typical spam
titles in the subject field. 9.Passing along virus alerts. 10.Replying to spam.
TOP TEN STARTS:
1.START deleting most e-mails when not recognizing the sender Due to the huge
amount of spam, along with the on-going presence of virus's embedded into e-mail
messages, the current trend today is to automatically delete any messages that you
are not certain who the sender is. Purge your "deleted items" folder often.
2.START compressing information down to concise points Keep your messages short,
concise and to the point. In other words, have a point then get to it. Most users
do not enjoy reading lengthy messages or novels on their screens and they have a
tendency to delete or ignore these type of messages. See additional information
about information compression by clicking here or clicking your browser to: http://www.enspiron.cc/article.asp?ID=1
3.START identifying who YOU are in the subject field Make sure the recipient
knows your e-mail address or is expecting your e-mail. If I am speaking to a client
on the phone and following up via e-mail, I'll alert the client to my forthcoming
message or reference the phone call in the subject field.
4.START addressing distribution e-mails to yourself Each receiving recipient
sees only two e-mail addresses of which both are yours. It will be seen on the receiving
end like this: To: "Your e-mail address" Fr: "Your e-mail address" And . . .
5.START placing addresses in Bcc field when sending distribution e-mails It is
a discourtesy to give out someone's e-mail address. When you send an e-mail message
to multiple people and use To or Cc to address the message, everyone sees each other's
e-mail address.
Creating A Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) Field: To send a message without the recipient's
name showing: In a message, click To. In the Type name or select from list box,
type the name, or click Find. In the Name list, click the name, and then click Bcc.
Click Send. Or . . . You can display the Bcc box in all new messages that you compose.
If Word is your e-mail editor, in a new message, click the arrow to the right of
the Options button, and then click Bcc. If you are using the Outlook e-mail editor,
in a new message, on the View menu, click Bcc Field. If the Bcc field isn't visible
when you create a new message, you can add it.
6.START being respectful of other's e-mail privacy and time Everyone is very
busy and most place a high level of significance on their time and privacy. Be respectful
by applying the things learned in this article and by sharing this valuable information
with others. 7.START cleaning up e-mails if your intent is to pass them along We've
all seen it, the folks who view an e-mail and want to pass it along so they automatically
click "forward." In the To field they click in their entire e-mail database and
hit send. Instead, stop the pollution by (a) click "forward" on the tool bar (b)
remove all the fwd's, message headers and anyone's e-mail address that may appear
(c) place your own e-mail address in the To field and (d) place the e-mail addresses
you want to send the message to in the Bcc field.
8.START educating yourself to increase your Internet savvy Educate yourself on
the proper uses of the Internet and stop with excuses such as "It's too late to
teach an old dog new tricks." An easy way to educate yourself is to search out on
the various search engines for information about Internet Pollution or e-mail etiquette.
Your company might consider "E-Mail Essentials," a significant half day training
offered by the author through The Enspiron Training Company.
9.START forgiving others when they mess up Almost daily, I receive e-mail messages
from acquaintances that violate most of the information contained in this article.
Instead of spending useless energy registering a complaint or ignoring it, I politely
make a specific request for them to change what it is they are doing and why. If
you're going to be part of the pollution solution then provide suggestions on "what
they should do." 10.START using spell check before sending e-mails Using your built
in spell checker is a sure way to avoid embarrassments, especially when communicating
professionally. Don't compromise your messages, use spell check.
TOP TEN STOPS:
1.STOP placing your entire e-mail database or lists into the To or Cc fields
As previously stated, some people place all their email addresses in the To or Cc
field. There are two disadvantages to this: (a) the recipient knows you have sent
the same message to a large amount of people, and (b) you are publicizing someone
else's email address without their permission.
2.STOP using sarcasm and humor in some e-mails Without face to face communications
your joke or statement may be viewed with disapproval or even worse - you may hurt
someone's feelings. Genuine intimacy with our fellow human beings is a rare commodity
these days - and many people who shy away from intimacy hide behind the veil of
humor. If it doesn't buy you anything, then don't say or write it.
3.STOP opening e-mails with a "fwd" or "fw" in the subject matter These types
of e-mails create a huge amount of pollution. The messages are typically laced with
multiple forwarded subjects not to mention including each person's e-mail list that
decided to hit reply or forward to the original message.
4.STOP using ALL CAPS or CAPS LOCK in your messages USING ALL CAPS MAKES IT LOOK
LIKE YOU'RE YELLING! TRY READING THE WHOLE SCREEN LIKE THIS - NOT EASY TO DO!
5.STOP writing anything you don't want shared in public Never assume your email
messages are private or that they can be read by only the recipient. Face the fact,
sending e-mails is just like having a "LIVE" microphone around a politician. 6.STOP
changing e-mails addresses every so often Much of our Internet pollution is due
to people changing e-mail addresses every so often. Many people have to change due
to the high amount of spam that they receive. Others change because of the all new
ISP that just came out. Yet, messaging everyone in the world about a new address,
again, pollutes the electronic traffic, not to mention everyone needs to update
their database.
7.STOP sending unnecessary attached files Sending some attachments can annoy
friends, family, and clients. Many files may even seize their e-mail system. Compress
attachments and only send them when they are necessary and productive. Or, load
you attachment onto a website and direct your recipients to view the document using
a URL link instead.
8.STOP sending messages with a typical spam title in the subject matter A relative
every once in awhile sends a message and in the subject field it says "Hi." Great
. . . especially considering "hi" is one of the most recognizable spam subject titles.
Spammers use basic titles in their subject lines that are designed to create curiosity
with the recipient so they'll open or forward the message. Amazingly enough, we
use some of the same titles in our legitimate e-mails. Another way spammers infiltrate
is to misspell words in the subject line. Watch out for specific subject titles
such as Urgent, Important, Sunday, Your Message, Invoice, Send Card To, Your Account;
or any subject fields that are misspelled.
9.STOP passing along virus alerts E-mail users are still forwarding virus alerts
- thinking that by sending these they'll save some poor soul from a for-sure computer
melt down. The fact is some virus alerts have embedded viruses in them. If you receive
a virus alert, delete it without opening it or forwarding it. Check the main homepage
of your virus protection software often. Keep an eye on your favorite television
news station or Internet news station like CNN or Fox News for your official virus
alerts.
10.STOP replying to spam Each time you reply to spam or hit unsubscribe, you
are confirming that your email address is "live." Authenticating this will only
create even more spam. Just hit the delete button or use email software to remove
the spam.
The Internet and E-mail is everything they said it was going to be. People all
around the world are using this medium to connect and communicate with others. The
"Net" has certainly changed how we live, work and play. Even Senior Citizens are
now jumping in at a unprecedented rate of activity. Before they can speak, our children
now have a mouse in their hand. Major corporate aircraft now have a mouse for the
pilot and one for the co-pilot located on the cockpit consoles.
As the Net continues to evolve, so do we as users utilizing the latest and greatest
types of technology. Because of this wonderful phenomenon, we have no idea of what
it will be like in ten years or how we?ll all be affected by this incredible medium.
We have just barely scratched the "tip" of the iceberg. Yet, we have a duty to safeguard
and defend the Internets unique makeup.
Become a solution to the pollution by implementing the ideas and suggestions
found in this article. Start now on the road of increasing your awareness and reducing
the huge amount of Internet pollution that we deal with on a daily basis.
If you have questions about this article or would like to schedule a training
in regards to "E-Mail Essentials," leadership, customer service or sales matters,
contact Chuck directly or you may view all his speaking topics at: http://www.enspiron.cc
opics.asp View other articles by Chuck at http://enspiron.cc/articles.asp
