ASK MR. MODEM

Brush Up Your Netiquette!

How to Know Whether Your E-mail’s Been Read, Whom It Belongs to After It Leaves Your Computer . . .and More!

Last of 4 Parts

By Richard A. Sherman

ere they are: the last 10 rules in my “Brush Up Your Netiquette” series. Live by these and the preceding 30 rules, and you’ll find wealth, health and happiness online. Well, maybe not all of the above. But you won’t lose money, because your computer caught a virus, or lose friends, because you gave them a virus, or lose business, because you came across as someone who doesn’t know the ropes electronically.

            If you're like most Internet users, you spend more time sending and receiving e-mail than any other online activity. Because your e-mail represents you, it's important that it represent you well. For that reason, it's imperative to sharpen your e-mail skills, policies and practices. Picking up where we left off in last month's column, we'll conclude this gripping, compelling, electrifying series now. Read it and you’ll understand “Everything You Need to Know About Using E-mail.”

Do Unto Others . . .

            31. Do not forward chain letters. Phony virus alerts and hoaxes of all kinds are everyday occurrences on the Internet. Any time you receive an e-mail that encourages you to forward it to as many people as possible, don’t do it. Instead, just delete it. For more information about recognizing and confirming e-mail hoaxes, visit the free Mr. Modem Library at www.MrModem.com and select the article entitled "Hoaxes." Obtain legitimate virus warnings and information from your virus-checking software Web site, or if you’re not sure about something you receive via e-mail, and you're a subscriber to my weekly newsletter, you are cordially invited to check with me first.

            32. Don’t send “guilt trips.” Closing chain letters with a “guilt” closing to encourage recipients to forward your e-mail to others is a huge turn-off. Here’s one I recently received: “You can either pretend this e-mail didn’t touch your heart or you can share the love by sending this to 10 others you care about.” Talk about testing one’s gag reflex. 

            33. Avoid requesting delivery and read receipts. These types of “return receipts” will generally annoy the recipient before your e-mail is even read. In addition, receipts of this type rarely work, because the recipient has to acknowledge receipt by clicking an “Acknowledge Receipt” button or link, and most people won’t do that. Remember, too, that your intended recipients, depending which e-mail software they are using, could have the return-receipt function blocked or their software might not support it. It is possible to use third-party services, such as Read Notify (www.readnotify.com), to determine when an e-mail you’ve sent was received, when it was opened, how long it remained opened, what the recipient was wearing at the time—well, not quite . . .  But the simplest and politest way to find out whether an e-mail was received is to simply ask the recipient to let you know when he or she receives it.

            34. Assume that anything you send will be read by others. Use discretion when discussing confidential information or sending provocative material. Sending an e-mail is like sending a postcard: It is not a secure environment. Never make libelous, sexist or racial comments in e-mail—or offline, for that matter. When sending e-mail to individuals, be aware that children may have access to the family computer and may open e-mail intended for Mom or Dad. If you’re ever in doubt about the propriety of sending anything, just ask yourself, “Is this something I’d be comfortable sending to my mother?”  ‘Nuf said?

            35. E-mail becomes the property of the recipient. Recipients have the ability to copy, forward, print and/or distribute your e-mail. If you don’t want others to see your message, don’t send it in the first place. In the work environment, if you’re sending e-mail on company time or using a company computer, your employer may have access to your e-mail, as well.

            36. In business e-mail, try to use an active instead of a passive voice. For example, “We will process your order today” sounds less formal and more personal than “Your order will be processed today.” Membership organizations should avoid the use of language that creates a subliminal barrier between the organization and its members or suggests a “we” (superior organization) and “you” (inferior member) standing.

            37. Use disposable e-mail addresses when registering on Web sites or for other online services. That way you’ll cut down on spam. Create a free, Web-based e-mail account with sites such as Yahoo! Mail (http://mail.yahoo.com), Bigfoot (www.bigfoot.com), or use a service such as Sneakemail (www.sneakemail.com) or SpamEx (www.spamex.com). After registering, some Web sites will send a confirmation e-mail that will require a reply in order to validate your registration, so be sure to check your disposable e-mail account for a day or two after registering.

            38. Consider using a brief signature “block.” Much like a letterhead, a signature block (sometimes referred to as a signature line) can provide your name and contact information (including company name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number, fax, Web site, etc.). Most e-mail programs permit the creation of multiple signature blocks, so you can have one for business, one each for   personal, recreational, and other uses. Keep your signature block short—five or six lines are plenty. Your signature line should not be used to present your biography or life story, and it’s best to avoid including philosophical, religious or “thought-for-the-day”-type messages. ASCII “drawings” or business card attachments that require opening by a recipient should also be avoided. Just send your e-mail, and get on with your life.

            39. Spam (unsolicited commercial or “junk” e-mail) is universally reviled. Don’t spam. Ever. E-mail is not an excuse to solicit strangers. If you are a spammer and engage in the practice of sending out unsolicited commercial messages to others, be aware that there are spam boycott lists, profiling products and services of known spammers that Internet users consult to block spam. Though lists of this type are illegal, they nevertheless do exist, usually making the rounds via e-mail. (Oh, the irony.) Once your company or business is on a list of this type, there is no way to remove it. 

            40. Never reply to spam.  And, for heaven's sake, don’t purchase anything from spam. While I’m on the subject, don’t fall victim to the “Reply-to-be-removed-from-this-mailing-list” ploy. Doing so only confirms the validity of your e-mail address and the result is even more spam. As annoying as it is, spam is simply part of the Internet experience. It doesn’t kill trees, though it may inconvenience a few electrons along the way. Creating filters or rules and using programs such as SpamKiller (www.spamkiller.com), MailWasher (www.mailwasher.net) and others can help, but for the ultimate, 100 percent effective spam eliminator, use your Delete key. It works like a charm.

            For more information about creating spam filters, including step-by-step instructions, visit the free Mr. Modem Library at www.MrModem.com and read the article titled "Filtering E-mail."

  _____________________________________

Richard A. Sherman, a k a Mr. Modem, is a nationally syndicated columnist, whose “Ask Mr. Modem!” column appears in more than 60 publications throughout the U.S. and in Canada. As publisher of the popular “Ask Mr. Modem” weekly newsletter, he provides easy-to-understand, non-technical, computer- and Internet-related answers to questions received from subscribers worldwide. He is the author of eight books, including “Mr. Modem’s Internet Guide for Seniors” (Sybex) and “Ask Mr. Modem,” a collection of hundreds of frequently asked computer and Internet questions received from readers. Richard is a contributing editor to TechTV and host of the daily “Mr. Modem Minute” television segment produced by FOX-TV.

E-mail this article.

MAKING BREAD RECOMMENDS

Click on covers to read reviews and order.