Stop Internet Pollution
By Chuck Bauer
Posted Monday, November 22, 2004
As we blaze into the new millennium, technology continues it’s rapid pace yet most people and businesses are not realizing the consequence of e-mail. Even as we increase our level of electronic communication, so goes the multitudes of new e-mail and internet users flooding the bandwidth. Along with all this new hyper growth comes new internet-based abuses and challenges that affect all of us personally and professionally.
These days everyone receives too many e-mails. Unnecessary messages are annoying. The information contained in this article suggests ways to become a solution to the pollution, decrease spam and allow routine users to have higher levels of electronic savvy. You’ll also find out through our Top Ten Starts and Top Ten Stops how to take the necessary steps to protect e-mail addresses from potential abuses.
TOP TEN STARTS:
1.Deleting most e-mails when you do not recognize the sender. 2.Compressing information down to concise points. 3.Identifying who you are in the subject field. 4.Addressing distribution e-mails to yourself. 5.Placing addresses in Bcc field when sending distribution e-mails. 6.Being respectful of other’s e-mail privacy and time. 7.Cleaning up e-mails if your intent is to pass them along. 8.Educating yourself to increase your Internet savvy. 9.Forgiving others when they mess up. 10.Using spell check before sending e-mails.
TOP TEN STOPS:
1.Placing your entire e-mail database or lists into the To or Cc field. 2.Using sarcasm and humor in some e-mails. 3.Opening e-mails with a “fwd” or “fw” in the subject matter. 4.Using ALL CAPS or CAPS LOCK in your messages. 5.Writing anything you don’t want shared in public. 6.Changing e-mails addresses every so often. 7.Sending unnecessary attached files. 8.Sending messages using typical spam titles in the subject field. 9.Passing along virus alerts. 10.Replying to spam.
TOP TEN STARTS:
1.START deleting most e-mails when not recognizing the sender Due to the huge amount of spam, along with the on-going presence of virus’s embedded into e-mail messages, the current trend today is to automatically delete any messages that you are not certain who the sender is. Purge your “deleted items” folder often.
2.START compressing information down to concise points Keep your messages short, concise and to the point. In other words, have a point then get to it. Most users do not enjoy reading lengthy messages or novels on their screens and they have a tendency to delete or ignore these type of messages. See additional information about information compression by clicking here or clicking your browser to: (http://www.enspiron.cc/article.asp?ID=1)
3.START identifying who YOU are in the subject field Make sure the recipient knows your e-mail address or is expecting your e-mail. If I am speaking to a client on the phone and following up via e-mail, I’ll alert the client to my forthcoming message or reference the phone call in the subject field.
4.START addressing distribution e-mails to yourself Each receiving recipient sees only two e-mail addresses of which both are yours. It will be seen on the receiving end like this: To: “Your e-mail address” Fr: “Your e-mail address” And .
5.START placing addresses in Bcc field when sending distribution e-mails It is a discourtesy to give out someone's e-mail address. When you send an e-mail message to multiple people and use To or Cc to address the message, everyone sees each other's e-mail address.
Creating A Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) Field: To send a message without the recipient's name showing: In a message, click To. In the Type name or select from list box, type the name, or click Find. In the Name list, click the name, and then click Bcc. Click Send. Or . . .
You can display the Bcc box in all new messages that you compose. If Word is your e-mail editor, in a new message, click the arrow to the right of the Options button, and then click Bcc. If you are using the Outlook e-mail editor, in a new message, on the View menu, click Bcc Field. If the Bcc field isn't visible when you create a new message, you can add it.
6.START being respectful of other’s e-mail privacy and time Everyone is very busy and most place a high level of significance on their time and privacy. Be respectful by applying the things learned in this article and by sharing this valuable information with others.
7.START cleaning up e-mails if your intent is to pass them along We’ve all seen it, the folks who view an e-mail and want to pass it along so they automatically click “forward.” In the To field they click in their entire e-mail database and hit send. Instead, stop the pollution by (a) click “forward” on the tool bar (b) remove all the fwd’s, message headers and anyone’s e-mail address that may appear (c) place your own e-mail address in the To field and (d) place the e-mail addresses you want to send the message to in the Bcc field.
8.START educating yourself to increase your Internet savvy Educate yourself on the proper uses of the Internet and stop with excuses such as “It’s too late to teach an old dog new tricks.” An easy way to educate yourself is to search out on the various search engines for information about Internet Pollution or e-mail etiquette. Your company might consider “E-Mail Essentials,” a significant half day training offered by the author through The Enspiron Training Company.
9.START forgiving others when they mess up Almost daily, I receive e-mail messages from acquaintances that violate most of the information contained in this article. Instead of spending useless energy registering a complaint or ignoring it, I politely make a specific request for them to change what it is they are doing and why. If you’re going to be part of the pollution solution then provide suggestions on “what they should do.”
10.START using spell check before sending e-mails Using your built in spell checker is a sure way to avoid embarrassments, especially when communicating professionally. Don’t compromise your messages, use spell check.
TOP TEN STOPS:
1.STOP placing your entire e-mail database or lists into the To or Cc fields
As previously stated, some people place all their email addresses in the To or Cc field. There are two disadvantages to this: (a) the recipient knows you have sent the same message to a large amount of people, and (b) you are publicizing someone else's email address without their permission.
2.STOP using sarcasm and humor in some e-mails Without face to face communications your joke or statement may be viewed with disapproval or even worse – you may hurt someone’s feelings. Genuine intimacy with our fellow human beings is a rare commodity these days – and many people who shy away from intimacy hide behind the veil of humor. If it doesn’t buy you anything, then don’t say or write it.
3.STOP opening e-mails with a “fwd” or “fw” in the subject matter These types of e-mails create a huge amount of pollution. The messages are typically laced with multiple forwarded subjects not to mention including each person’s e-mail list that decided to hit reply or forward to the original message.
4.STOP using ALL CAPS or CAPS LOCK in your messages USING ALL CAPS MAKES IT LOOK LIKE YOU'RE YELLING! TRY READING THE WHOLE SCREEN LIKE THIS – NOT EASY TO DO!
5.STOP writing anything you don’t want shared in public Never assume your email messages are private or that they can be read by only the recipient. Face the fact, sending e-mails is just like having a “LIVE” microphone around a politician.
6.STOP changing e-mails addresses every so often Much of our Internet pollution is due to people changing e-mail addresses every so often. Many people have to change due to the high amount of spam that they receive. Others change because of the all new ISP that just came out. Yet, messaging everyone in the world about a new address, again, pollutes the electronic traffic, not to mention everyone needs to update their database.
7.STOP sending unnecessary attached files Sending some attachments can annoy friends, family, and clients. Many files may even seize their e-mail system. Compress attachments and only send them when they are necessary and productive. Or, load you attachment onto a website and direct your recipients to view the document using a URL link instead.
8.STOP sending messages with a typical spam title in the subject matter A relative every once in awhile sends a message and in the subject field it says “Hi.” Great . . . especially considering “hi” is one of the most recognizable spam subject titles. Spammers use basic titles in their subject lines that are designed to create curiosity with the recipient so they’ll open or forward the message. Amazingly enough, we use some of the same titles in our legitimate e-mails. Another way spammers infiltrate is to misspell words in the subject line. Watch out for specific subject titles such as Urgent, Important, Sunday, Your Message, Invoice, Send Card To, Your Account; or any subject fields that are misspelled.
9.STOP passing along virus alerts
E-mail users are still forwarding virus alerts – thinking that by sending these they’ll save some poor soul from a for-sure computer melt down. The fact is some virus alerts have embedded viruses in them. If you receive a virus alert, delete it without opening it or forwarding it. Check the main homepage of your virus protection software often. Keep an eye on your favorite television news station or Internet news station like CNN or Fox News for your official virus alerts.
10.STOP replying to spam
Each time you reply to spam or hit unsubscribe, you are confirming that your email address is “live.” Authenticating this will only create even more spam. Just hit the delete button or use email software to remove the spam.
The Internet and E-mail is everything they said it was going to be. People all around the world are using this medium to connect and communicate with others. The “Net” has certainly changed how we live, work and play. Even Senior Citizens are now jumping in at a unprecedented rate of activity. Before they can speak, our children now have a mouse in their hand. Major corporate aircraft now have a mouse for the pilot and one for the co-pilot located on the cockpit consoles.
As the Net continues to evolve, so do we as users utilizing the latest and greatest types of technology. Because of this wonderful phenomenon, we have no idea of what it will be like in ten years or how we‘ll all be affected by this incredible medium. We have just barely scratched the “tip” of the iceberg. Yet, we have a duty to safeguard and defend the Internets unique makeup.
Become a solution to the pollution by implementing the ideas and suggestions found in this article. Start now on the road of increasing your awareness and reducing the huge amount of Internet pollution that we deal with on a daily basis.
If you have questions about this article or would like to schedule a training in regards to “E-Mail Essentials,” leadership, customer service or sales matters, contact Chuck directly or you may view all his speaking topics at: (http://www.enspiron.cc/topics.asp) View other articles by Chuck at (http://enspiron.cc/articles.asp)
About the Author
Chuck Bauer is an accomplished speaker, writer, and author. He has performed hundreds of trainings and workshops throughout North America. He is a member of the National Speakers Association, Coach University, and Attraction University. When he is not training or writing, he is a committed bodybuilder and private pilot. Find out more about Chuck and the Enspiron Training Company at (www.enspiron.cc).
