Productivity Portfolio

I realize there are exceptions to the five items below. I'm not proposing these are absolutes. Instead, I think we can all do a better job of putting ourselves in the recipients shoes. After all, the intent of an email is usually to inform someone or have him or her act. So, why not make it as easy as possible for them.

1. Ineffective use of the Subject: line

This subject line should convey to the reader the substance of the email. Too many people fail to use this line properly if at all. Others insist or reusing subject lines from previous emails even when the subject has changed.

Contrary to popular belief, not all readers download entire email messages. Instead, many people rely on email headers. These include people with IMAP email accounts or people reading email on PDAs or cell phones. If your header isn't descriptive, people may not download the body of the email until a later date if at all.

You can help your reader prioritize their email by including agreed upon subject descriptors. As example, if the item is a joke, add the word humor in the subject line such as Subject: Best Tech Support Solutions (Humor).

I often use (EOM) at the end of the subject line when responding to a simple question in an email. For example, if I get an email with the Subject: Anyone need a Gmail Account?, Ill reply by adding my answer and (EOM) to the subject line. The (EOM) alerts the reader this is the End of Message. This saves the reader from opening my email to find my answer.

2. Failing to use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)

If you're going to send a one-time email to a group of people who don't know each other, please use BCC. Emails have a life of their own and are often forwarded. Just because someone has shared their email address with you, doesn't mean you should share it with others.

Moreover, some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and corporate email systems flag email as bulk based on the number of people listed in the To: and CC: lines regardless of content. This issue can be tricky as these systems may also flag email where the Sender and Recipient are the same or the To: line is blank. One workaround is to create your BCC list and then use one of your alternate email accounts in the To: line. I use my PacBell account for this purpose since numerous spammers knows it, which renders it useless for normal purposes.

3. Forwarding emails without editing

This is another example where senders make the recipient work more than they should. If someone sent you an email that includes attached emails, please just copy the relevant parts to a new email. True there are circumstances where you need to maintain the thread, but usually not.

Although many of us have unlimited email plans and high-speed access, others are charged based on data transfer. The extraneous parts cost recipients money and time.

4. Not framing the email

Have you ever wondered why you received an email? I'm not talking about spam, but email from people you know. Often, I get emails with no more than a web link. Sometimes, there is a short blurb such as check this out. The problem is there isn't enough information to decide whether I should click through now. This is especially true if someone used a URL service that shortens long web addresses.

If you want to forward web links, please tell the reader why you liked the story or why you think the reader will enjoy it. I'm not asking for a dissertation, just a meaningful clue. After all, you've seen the material. Don't assume the recipient has time to read all their email.

I think this is also important because virus writers are getting more sophisticated. I suspect well be seeing more social engineering email viruses that appear to be from someone you know. The email will include a rogue web link with the text This is a great site or something generic.

5. Not verifying the contents

This should go without saying, but the world is full of misinformation. Before sending people an email about the latest scare, fraud, online petition etc, please verify it is true. There are some online sources you can use such as:

http://www.snopes.com/
http://www.urbanlegends.about.com/