Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Don't send private messages with the company account. If you want to send personal
messages from work (and you should probably try to minimize this), use a freebie
account like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo!, or Excite, if your office permits it. The content of
your emails is less visible to employers through these accounts, so the private messages
you send will stay private.
2.
Use BCC if necessary. If you must send a group email to people who do not know each
other, don't add their addresses to the form's CC field; this is one method spammers use
to harvest email addresses. Instead, use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) for their addresses,
and put your own email in the form's "to" field.
3.
Don't send form letters. Its impolite to send form letters, especially to your friends and
colleagues unless they are all part of a group that is expecting them.
4.
Don't forward chain letters. Just don't do it. Enough said. That includes the email that
says that if you don't forward it to 10 people you'll die. I don't care how superstitious you
are, don't send them.
5.
Be professional. Ensure your work emails don't contain 'u', 'afk', 'ty', 'jk' and/or several
million other texting/chatroom acronyms. These developed because cell phones' keypads
aren't well-suited to writing fully-formed words, sentences and paragraphs. In business
communications, however, they may give the impression of childishness and illiteracy.
6.
Be professional, part 2: Check tone. Be aware of the professional (or not) relationship
between yourself and the recipient before starting an email. Use that to gauge what topics
are appropriate to write or not, as well as the tone of your writing. This may be common
sense to most, but you’d be surprised at how often the rule is ignored.
7.
Be careful. Email is not private; it can be intercepted anywhere en route to its recipient.
In addition, it can live on for years in recipient email boxes, later to return to its sender in
choice quotations. Think before sending email you will later regret.
8.
Cut down on sigs. Signature files, especially in business, should contain as few lines as
possible. Four lines is a figure generally agreed-upon. Email that consists of a two-line
statement and a ten-line signature will have its recipients rolling their eyes.
9.
May I quote you? When you respond to an email, the original email is quoted. Cut the
most relevant sentence from the message to which you are responding, preface it with a
'>' (if it's not already there) and paste the quote above your response. Delete the rest of
the original email from your response, unless you are responding to other points in the
original.
10.
Don't use email when you are angry. This is a tip from Joan Tunsall's Better, Faster
Email (non-affiliate Amazon link). While most of the time email does not convey your
emotions, particularly humor, it somehow seems to transmit anger - even when you don’t
intend it to come through..
11.
Get clarification. If someone sends you an email that upsets you, make sure you haven't
misunderstood. As mentioned previously, emotion and tone do not always carry over well
in email. Instead of responding angrily, in your response, quote the portion of text that
you are unsure of and ask the sender to clarify. Indicate what you think it means, if you
like, then ask if you've misunderstood.
12.
Don't spam friends. Occasionally, company mail servers go on the fritz and send forty-
five copies of the same email to the recipient (personal experience). Even if it's not your
fault, it is polite to apologize profusely to your friend, family, or roommate.
13.
Consider the quirks of other email systems. For example, say that you have a friend
with a Hotmail account and want to send a list of hyperlinks. Hotmail doesn't handle
hyperlinks inside of an email very well. For example, you cannot easily copy the actual
URL, without a bit of effort. So anyone used to tabbed browsing, such as with all recent
web browsers (including, finally, IE7.x), may find it frustrating trying to open a link in a
new tab or window. It's hard to know about all types of email systems, but some
awareness reduces frustrating situations for recipients.
14.
Respond to group email appropriately. If someone has sent a group email that requires
a response, but only to the sender or a couple of parties, don't copy everyone on your
reply.
15.
Don't respond to every group email. More specifically, it is alright to sit out a thread of
group conversation if you are not being addressed directly. However, read the emails
carefully to make sure that you are not being expected to respond.
16.
Respect email laws and regulations. Some countries have very specific rules about bulk
emailing. If you use email to promote your business, you need to know the laws for not
only your country but probably wherever you are emailing to. It's a tall order, given the
global village of the Internet, but its importance cannot be overstated.
Mobile Email
27.
Know your limitations. Mobile email is best for very dexterous people. It isn't always
the most productive way to communicate for everyone. Reading emails via mobile is
fine, but if you don't have the thumb dexterity to use the keypad to respond, save your
thumb the pain and just handle your emails on a computer.
28.
Use voice-to-text. There are mobile applications out there that will convert your spoken
word to text, which you can then use for mobile email responses. Because this technology
is just starting to go mainstream, if you want it you are going to have to shop for phones
specifically with voice-to-text capability.
29.
Duplication of email, or lack thereof. If you plan to access email from both a mobile
device and a computer, keep in mind that some email servers and client software
download each email to the device you are using, and delete it from the server. This could
be hazardous to your career, if you access with a mobile device, read it, and then delete it
with the intent of responding from a computer later. So make sure that you know how
your client handles the mobile/computer divide.
30.
Be exclusive. It's best to set up a separate email account for your mobile devices. If you
plan to be away from a laptop or desktop for an extended period, you can redirect your
regular email, with full filters on. Use this email account only for your mobile device. By
having to separate accounts you can make sure to send all your subscriptions and other
large regular emails to your main account. You can also sign up for new products with
the computer account to make sure you won't get spammed, before you have those emails
come to your mobile account.
31.
Don't send email attachments to mobile devices. If you know that a colleague will be
using their mobile device to check email for an extended period of time, avoid sending
him or her attachments. Send a snippet of text instead, if possible, or a URL where they
can download when they have access to a laptop or desktop.
32.
Use mobile email sparingly. Cellular wireless data plans often have a monthly
bandwidth cap. Sending attachments (or receiving them) can be hazardous to your wallet.
Some mobile email services function by letting you see that you have attachments, but
others will automatically download. So for the sake of you and your colleagues wallets
save the attachments for later.
Email Attachments
The ability to attach documents has revolutionized the way in which we do business.
Despite its benefits, however, attachments are one of the least standardized parts of
emailing.
51.
Keep attachments small. If you are sending a large attachement to someone, whether
they have a free email or not, they probably have an inbox size limit. Stay in good favor
with them by only send attachments of no larger than, say, 30-40 Kilobytes, unless
they've requested it of you. That means that many videos and large pictures should be
uploaded to the web instead of attached to an email.
52.
Don't forward attachments. Except in a work environment where it might be expected,
check with your intended recipient before sending attachments. If it is a large file,
consider that sending it may block their account from receiving additional email because
they exceeded their disk space quota. Attachments also take up company resources and
eat up bandwidth unnecessarily. For example, if you send a PDF file to a group of, say,
10 co-workers, the mail server sends 10 copies of the same file and uses up 10x the
space.
53.
Include an excerpt. If it's sufficient/ appropriate, include an excerpt of the document
(instead of attaching it) in the body of your email.
54.
Send a link instead. You are better off sending a link to something, if the material is
already online, or you can easily put it up on a secure site.
55.
Share a file. If the file is not online, and if you have the right to put it there (i.e., no
copyright issues, not company-sensitive material), then use a filesharing service such as
AllPeers, which lets you define who is in your buddy list. No one else can access the
document. There are also several online spreadsheet and word processor apps these days.
See Google Docs and Spreadsheets or Zoho. Both are compatible with "Office"
applications like Microsoft Office and Open Office, and let you share documents. Once
you've set a Google Doc or Zoho document to "share", you can send colleagues a link.
56.
Share a file, part 2. If using file-sharing services or web-based office apps to share a file
is against company policy, try this. Most larger companies will have an Intranet site,
possibly with employee web pages. You may be able to upload your file to your
employee website. Just share the link in email. If your computers are part of the same
company network, you probably already know this, but there is usually a common
repository, possibly organized by project. If you and your colleague both have the same
network permissions, upload your file to the project area and email them the directory
path.
57.
Share a file, part 3. One alternative that works nicely, provided it is not against company
policy, is to use the file-sharing feature of a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or VoIM
(Voice over Instant Messaging) client, such as Skype or Windows Live/ MSN
Messenger. If you are in a large company, you might be using a more corporate solution
such as Lotus Notes, which, if memory serves, has its own Messenger.
58.
Use Text/ RTF format instead of DOC files. Microsoft's Word files (.doc format) are
susceptible to some macro viruses. If you must send a document and cannot use one of
the options above, copy your document to RTF (Rich Text Format) first, then email that
as an attachment. Even if you don't have a virus on your computer, your colleague may.
If they receive an RTF file, then there is less chance they will respond with a DOC file.
(MS Word let's you work with RTF files as you would a DOC file.) It is also okay to
send .txt (raw text), .pdf, and image files. Bad to send: any .EXE or other executable file.
Possibly bad: .doc or .xls (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet) files.
59.
Consider using OpenOffice XML format. Open Office, a free open source alternative
to Microsoft Office, uses XML (PDF, 571 pgs, 1.5 Mb) text files, so they are okay to
send as well. (Text files cannot harbor viruses.) Open office lets you create word
processor documents, spreadsheets, presentations (similar to MS Powerpoint), and
drawings. It can read MS Office files, and can also output its XML files to the
appropriate MS Office format.
60.
Defer opening attachments. Don't rush to open an attachment just because it appears to
have come from someone you know. If you receive an attachment that you are not
expecting, don't open it. At least, first read the email and make sure that the attachment is
most likely legitimate. If you're still not sure, call/ VoIP/ email/ or IM the sender to be
sure. If the sender's computer has a virus, it may be attaching trojans to all outgoing
emails from them.
61.
Know what not to open. Opening spam can direct floods of it to your inbox, multiplying
the time you're chained to email by an order of magnitude. Beacons embedded in spam -
typically clear, one-pixel .GIFs sent from a machine controlled by the spammer -
advertise that you opened the email... and thus your address is both valid and responsive.
Let someone else do the work. Weeding out spam is unpleasant, time-consuming and not
unlike tip-toeing through a minefield. It's several million times worse for ISPs, the more
reputable of whom employ industrial-grade filters that prevent the bulk of it from hitting
their customers' inboxes. Doing some legwork to determine which ISP filters the most
before it hits you will ultimately save you hours of grief.
System-Specific Mail
Here are some tips for some of the various email readers, including Yahoo, Hotmail,
Google Gmail, and Outlook. (Some Gmail tips are covered in the previous section.)
67.
Get Google Gmail. Google Mail, aka Gmail, is a relatively new contender in the email
reader market, free or otherwise. The problem is, you either have to be invited or use
your mobile phone, with text messaging capability, to sign up, if you live in a select
country (Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
Turkey, United States). It's a strange list of countries, and the ones not included are as
much a surprise. But if you can manage to get a Gmail account, it's worth it. It's an
incredibly effective webmail system.
68.
Use Gmail formatting sparingly. Google Mail uses a very rich format for text, even if
you don't explicitly apply formatting. It's nice to look at, but if you are using Gmail and
sending to someone who is not, do not use any additional formatting.
69.
Visually track your Gmail conversations. Gmail has a nice little feature that makes it
easier to track a conversation thread visually. Beside each entry in your inbox, there is a
little "star" that when clicked on turns yellow. If you use your Gmail account for a variety
of incoming sources, the star can help you find a thread easily. When you are done
responding, you can turn off the star.
70.
Archive your Gmail conversations. Gmail makes archiving email threads extremely
simple. Other email systems let you keep folders as well. Gmail lets you attach "labels"
instead of moving items to folders. You can attach more than one label to each email
thread, thereby making it easier to find later. Labeled threads can stay in the main inbox,
or be "archived" to what amounts to a folder with the label name. If someone that is part
of the conversation thread responds after the email has been archived, it resurfaces in the
inbox with its label(s) intact, and can be re-archived if desired. This nonlinear,
"conversation object-oriented" treatment of the entire mailbox in Gmail can be a more
productive way to use email, if you are prepared for the differences. It's a feature that is
more common in standalone email clients, but relatively new to web-based email readers.
71.
Utilize free Gmail disk space. Gmail offers over 2 Gigabytes of disk space for each
email account. If you are using the Firefox web browser, there is a neat little plugin called
Gmail Space that turns your Gmail account into a supplemental storage area for files of
any type and size. The interface is brilliant, easy to use, and looks a lot like an FTP client.
Once you sign up for a Gmail account, you to send out 15 invitations for new accounts.
Each invited account can invite 3 more people. While you don't want to abuse it, you
could probably use a few of those invites yourself. Just imagine: 2 accounts in your name
gives over 5 gigabytes of free disk storage. This is great for moving large files around
between two computers that are not networked. There's no limit to file size, but the Gmail
Space notes say that you should try to avoid transferring over 1 Gigabyte in the same day,
else Google may block your account. Also, it functions at present, but may not if Google
changes Gmail in anyway.
72.
Gmail document conversion. Digital Inspiration has yet another Gmail tip, this one for
converting a variety of file formats into HTML automatically. It's so simple, you'll be
pleasantly surprised.
73.
Gmail MP3 player. This feature is pretty easy to discover, if someone sends you an MP3
attachment, but Digital Inspiration explains how you can play MP3 files with the Gmail
player without logging into Gmail.
74.
Hotmail quirks. Hotmail has the quirk that if you click on a link inside of an email, a
new window pops up, regardless of the web browser you are using. Sure it's one of the
oldest webmail systems and sure there are millions of people using it, but power email
users should avoid it like the plague. With Gmail or even the new Yahoo beta mail
around, why bother with Hotmail?
75.
Outlook upgrades: call contacts. Microsoft Outlook has of late been getting "add ons".
There are several add-ons that integrate with your contact list to allow you to call phone
numbers from Outlook. For example, assuming you have Skype software (free) running
on your computer, the SkypeContact Dialer for Microsoft Outlook will initiate a VoIP
(Voice over Internet Protocol) call on Skype. Skype, if you don't already know, is just
one of many free software programs that let you actually make voice calls from your
computer to either another computer or even to landline phones. (You can read more
about VoIP at VoIPLowdown.com.)
76.
Outlook upgrades: RSS reader. The newest version of Outlook lets you subscribe to
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) "news feeds/ headlines". These are the same type of
"headlines" you see in Gmail or at a site like myYahoo.
77.
Yahoo mail beta: AJAXified. Yahoo! Mail has a new version that's just released that
uses AJAX and all kinds of web2.0-ish features that are supposed to enhance it. If you do
not like the workflow of Yahoo, try out their new "beta mail". It has multi-tabs, to allow
viewing of multiple emails simultaneously, and drag-and-drop of highlighted emails into
folders, fast deletion of blocks of consecutive email items, RSS feed viewing, a calendar
to manage tasks, and other features. If you don't like it, you can switch back. At least for
now.