Productivity Articles
A collection of computer productivity related articles.
Using proper etiquette when sending E-mails
We've all received emails we don't want or expect. Not only are these messages annoying, but they may sometimes be dangerous as well. The purpose of this article is to pass on some of the "do's and dont's" regarding E-mail security and etiquette. If you follow these simple rules, your E-mail recipients will be better protected and much less annoyed.
Spam - and the flavors it comes in
Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. While the most widely recognized form of spam is E-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media: instant messaging spam, Usenet newsgroup spam, Web search engine spam, spam in blogs, wiki spam, online classified ads spam, mobile phone messaging spam, Internet forum spam, junk fax transmissions, social networking spam, and file sharing network spam.
Use blind carbon copy (bcc)
Like carbon copy (cc), this E-mail option lets you send the same message to many different addresses. The difference is that when you put a recipient's E-mail address in the bcc field, the recipients cannot see each other's E-mail addresses and don't know that someone else received it. For example, if you want to send a letter to your boss but you also want your friend to read it, you can put your friend's E-mail address in the bcc field. That way, both your friend and your boss will receive the message, but your boss won't know the other received it.
How to use it: Each email client uses it's own style of offering the bcc tool. In most cases, a dialog box will open when you click on the "cc" button and give you more choices.
We'll use Microsoft Outlook's 2003 as an example. When you click on the Cc... button, a second dialog box will open which gives you the choice of Cc - > or Bcc - >.
From there, you may add as many recipient addresses as you choose, normally separating them with a , or ; character (delimiter).
Security
From a security aspect, the bcc method stops future forwards from getting into "stranger's hands" and thus harvested for spam. It doesn't necessarily protect your E-mails, but it's considerate to the people on your E-mail list.
Hopefully, this article will help you get on the right path. If you want more information about this subject, contact us by using the Web Form.