Monday, October 08, 2007

Think Before You Send



A new book, Send: the Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home, will help you avoid the myriad of problems that can occur with emails. The authors want us all to think before we send. In fact, they have created a website called Thinkbeforeyou send that collects annoying emails.

The authors begin the book by listing the main problems with email:

1. The email that's incredibly vague.

2. The email that insults you so badly that you have to get up from your desk.

3. The email that puts you in jail. Remember it's a permanent and searchable record.

4. The email that's cowardly. Often things need to be said in person.

5. The email that won't go away - Re: Re: Re: Re:

6. The email that's so sarcastic that you have to get up from your desk.

7. The email that's too casual for the situation.

8. The email that's inappropriate. And remember that your email can be easily forwarded to someone else.

9. Email that should have been a phone call- conveying emotion, handling a delicate situation, testing the waters, trying to reach an agreement, bringing things to a close.

10. Email with huge attachments that take up a lot of space.

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