10 THINGS TO AVOID : EMAIL FAUX PAS, ETIQUETTE ET AL

Part 1 of 2

Email is so pervasive in our lives that many people, I’m sure, wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if someone pulled the Internet plug. A few short years ago, email was considered an “unreliable” delivery mechanism, meaning that if you had something of importance to say or send, you’d better use a backup plan to be sure your recipient got it.

No more. Email is routinely subpoenaed in legal cases. It’s considered in many courts to be as good as a written contract and there are several “contract” sites that rely on email for contract execution.

People now receive mail on their cell phones and blackberry’s. While some predicted that SPAM would be a major detriment to the email infrastructure, we’ve managed to handle it pretty well, both from a legislative and technical perspective.

Yet, I never cease to be amazed by what people “do” in email. Whether it’s forwarding something inappropriate or including a vast number of people on a “CC” list or replying to “all” instead of “one”…the list goes on. So, here is the current “Dave Segrove list of things to do and not to do” when it comes to email. Some are just ideas, some are common sense and others are…well, I’ll let you decide.

“DO NOTs”, “GOTCHAs” and other things(in no particular order)

1. WORK AND PLAY DON’T MIX

Do not confuse business and pleasure. In my mind, this has got to be the most ignored and fundamental “rule” when it comes to email. There are several “sub-categories” under this heading.

• Chain Emails

  I may be on your mailing list for some reason and I’m happy to be. But if my relationship with you is business-related, I do not want to see your chain emails. A “chain email” is one that you must forward to 10 or 100 people in order to get the message out, for good luck, to avoid bad luck, to sign a petition…the list goes on. SPAM still accounts for over 90% of all email traffic and chain emails are a big part of that.

  That’s not to say there is no place for some very good chain emails, but consider the recipient. Send it to your friends and family perhaps, but not your business colleagues.

• Jokes, Cartoons Etc

  I’m always amazed at the number of these I get from people I’d never have expected to. I like a good joke or cartoon as much as the next person, and if I get one from a friend or family member, that’s very different. I don’t expect (unless perhaps in rare cases) to receive these from business associates.

  Bottom line: you don’t know whether you might offend the recipient and you don’t know what that might result in.

  Many companies prohibit this sort of traffic as part of their policy, but I see it all the time.

• Pictures, Family Stories Etc

  Sorry gang, but business is business. If we’re friends, then by all means add me to your Facebook list or send me your photos or stories. As a colleague, client or vendor, I shouldn’t be copied on these.

2. DO NOT ASSUME PERMISSION

We may have communicated in the past. I may have received your business card from you in a meeting. Please don’t assume I gave you permission to add me to your mailing list. If you want to add me to your mailing list, send me an email or call me to ask.

In most cases, people are quite happy to join your list, but don’t take it for granted.

3. DO NOT BE CASUAL

If your email is business-related, keep the language thus. Don’t assume a “tone” you would not use in conversation. Email is very subject to misinterpretation, specifically because you cannot hear the voice inflexions of the sender.

4. NEVER EVER USE PROFANITY

’nuff said.

5. DON’T ABBREVIATE

Email is not texting. Sure, you may be emailing from your cell phone or portable device, but that’s your problem. Abbreviations are subject to interpretation. Don’t assume that someone will understand what TTYL or L8R means.

6. BIG ATTACHMENTS

As Internet “pipes” get bigger, so do email attachments. Unless someone’s expecting a big file, either give them some notice or find another way (FTP for example) of getting it to them. Many corporate firewalls and routers will block big messages. You run the risk of not knowing whether it was received or not. Not all email systems will tell you.

Big attachments also fill up mail boxes and may cost money in bandwidth, for either you or the recipient.

7. SHOOTING FROM THE HIP

“Flaming” is an Internet term for an attack on another. While these tend to happen in forum settings, they can happen in emails too. It’s very easy to take offense at a message, type a quick reply and hit send before you’ve had time to take a breath.

Now what?

Remember, in most cases you cannot take it back. You cannot “un-say”. If something upsets you, be careful before replying. In my case, I’ll often type up what I want to say in a word processor. That way, there’s little chance of me sending the message by accident (or on purpose). After I calm down, I can edit or delete what I’ve typed and then copy and paste it into an email.

8. IT WILL OUTLIVE YOU

Copies of email messages are stored all over the place. Don’t assume an email conversation is just between you and the receiver. Don’t send something that might come back to bite you later. Email is legally admissible in many places as evidence. Just because you deleted it from “Sent Items” doesn’t delete it from the Internet.

9. REPLY TO “ALL” / FORWARDING

This can be amusing when it happens. It can also be deadly (business-wise). You receive an email from someone who has copied a group of people. You reply with a comment intended for the sender’s eyes only. You hit “send”.

Hang on, did you replay to “all”…? Uh oh…

I received an email recently from someone who forwarded an email from someone else and I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t supposed to see the original because it wasn’t very nice. In fact, it’s what prompted this article.

Be careful when replying to messages that were sent to a group. Ditto, be careful when forwarding a message to one or more people. Is there something that wasn’t intended for general consumption in there?

10. AN ADDRESS THAT ISN’T “PORTABLE” OR APPROPRIATE

Now, this last item may be determined by your company. If you work for a corporation and use their email system, you are probably expected to send and receive work-related emails with a company address. In nearly every case, you can’t take this with you when you leave.

So, if you are using your company address for something else, you might want to stop doing so. This may be against company policy to begin with, but if you can’t take it with you, are you going to have a problem if you leave?

Use an email address suitable for your business. If you want to use AOL or GMAIL or YAHOO, then do so, but use an address that works and that is appropriate. onehotguy@[emailsystem.com] may be cool for your personal life, but does it work for your new legal practice?

So, there you have it. I’m sure there are many other things that could be on the list. As email evolves, we need to as well. It’s no longer the casual tool a few years years ago.

If you made it thus far, you have my complete admiration. This wasn’t supposed to be a novel when it started…if you email it to anyone, you might want to just send a link…I think that’s appropriate

lol – r u afk or zzz?

DAVE’S FRIDAY FEATURE

Last Friday I finished the week with an article on emoticons. I had some interesting feedback and, as promised, am following up with this Friday’s feature: Web Abbreviations (or Webbreviations).

Whether you’re texting, instant messaging, playing online games, or even emailing, from time-to-time you’ll seen an abbreviation.

Some, such as LOL (laughing out loud) are so commonplace as to merit entry in commercial dictionaries. In order to expand your web diction, below is a list of some of the more (or less) common abbreviations you might see out there.

2nite	tonight
l8r	later
afk	away from keyboard
bbfn (ttfn)	bye bye for now (ta-ta for now)
k (kk)	okay – sometimes written as kk but meaning the same thing
brb	be right back
bio	bathroom (as in I’m going on a bio break)
omw (brt)	on my way (be right there used interchangeably)
bc or b/c	because
bs	(take a guess)
idk	I don’t know
btw	by the way
gl	good luck
cu (cul8r)	see you (see you later)
dnd	do not disturb (have seen this used as "denied" as well)
lol	laughing out loud
rofl	rolling on the floor laughing
eta	estimated time of arrival
noob (n00b)	someone is new to something (derogatory – "newb" or "newbie" is the polite version)
leet (l33t)	elite (meaning cool)
g2g	got to go
gf / bf / wyf / hub / so	girlfriend / boyfriend / wife / husband / significant other
gr8	great
grz / gratz / grtz	congratulations
oxo / xoxo	hugs and kisses
id10t	idiot
imo / imho	in my opinion / in my humble opinion
jk / j/k	joking or just kidding
msg	message
im	instant message
myob	mind your own business
ne1	anyone
u2	you too (not the band)
nm	never mind
omg	oh my God (or gosh)
plz / pls	please
tmi	too much information
ppl	people
qotd / motd	quote of the day / message of the day
qt	quiet
rl	real life
sfx	special effects
tx	thanks
ttyl	talk to you later
w8	wait
w/ w/o	with / without
zzz	sleeping / sleepy

Okay, now you’re totally l33t and will be able to understand what your kids are saying (jk). There are literally hundreds of abbreviations out there. This small list comprises some of the more "universal" ones.

I’ve left some of the less appropriate ones out, but there are plenty of those too.

So, get online and I’ll ttyl!

If all your friends jumped off the roof, would you?

I’m sure many parents have said to their kids something along the lines of “if all your friends jumped off the roof, would you?” I know I heard that growing more way too many times…I did lots of stupid things.

Posts like this make people me me unpopular. Why? Because I question what seems to be becoming “conventional wisdom”, a lemming-like rush to embrace new media, marketing techniques and anything that gives a glimmer of a chance to strike pay dirt.

Most of the professionals I know are very busy people. Many are small business owners or self-employed. A 40-hour work week is rare. Time is precious and there just isn’t enough of it. All want to succeed, most don’t have a lot to bet on new methods of doing so.

I’m increasingly asked about “new” buzzwords in the marketplace. Words such as “social media” or “twitter”, “facebook”, or one of the myriad of options out there. People are being told “if you’re going to make it, you MUST be using this, that or the other and if you don’t you’re not making the most of new technology and you’re a loser.”

Now, it may not be quite that nasty, but I’ve read enough blog posts that are barely a step away from that. There appears to be a new class of self-appointed “social media” and “marketing” “experts” who have found the magic beans that will grow the beanstalk to untold riches.

Some of these people are the same ones who have been pontificating about the “death” of print media and the absolute need to move online and in elitist little circles such as Twitter. Even on sites such as ActiveRain, there are self-titled “gurus” who people just appear to follow blindly, hanging on every word…and I just don’t get it.

This isn’t, by the way, just a rant from someone who is a frustrated social media or marketing “wannabe”. What I am adverse to is a “one size fits all” approach that “experts” are preaching and the negative impact it’s having on businesses across the board.

Every tool has its place and its uses, I’m the first to admit. But, though you may have a hammer in the toolbox, you may question the wisdom of using it to, say, clean a window.

Every new or recycled marketing tool (and don’t be fooled, when social media is applied to business, that’s what it is) has worked for some and not for others. The same went for print ads, flyers and who know what else. To some, the community and client base will dictate the technology. Email flyers are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike if your clients live in an area that doesn’t have Internet access.

I’m not adverse to trying new tools and techniques. I think playing around with things like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and others is essential, if for no other reason that to determine if it’s going to work for you. I am adverse to the “must be part of this” mentality. Social media, like other forms of marketing takes an investment. It may be time rather than money, but a return on investment needs to be evaluated. Will time be better spent elsewhere?

As a marketing “guy”, and I say that because I don’t want to call myself a consultant, expert or guru, I work with my clients to determine what’s right for them. I say to someone, almost on a daily basis, “do three things well, not ten badly”. Time is as important as money. Invest it wisely.

Just because everyone else is running in one direction doesn’t make it the right direction. I think back to the Poseidon Adventure with Gene Hackman and his little band that went against the flow of opinion and ultimately got out of the ship. What may work for this person, may not work for that one and I wish that more people would realize that and that more marketing “experts” would help their clients decide on the right course of action and not the most popular.

I also have to question a social media application that has it’s own version of the Oscars for the best short message…something seems very wrong to me about this. But then I also read a lot of social media blogs in which they poke fun at people who don’t use SM the “right way” or laugh at those who “think it’s just about blogging.”

But I suppose I’ll continue to believe that old-fashioned “meet and greets” are a good idea, that not all paper marketing is dead, that spam emails of property listings is rude and annoying and that social media has a place and isn’t the be all and end all of marketing.

I don’t think I’ll jump off that roof just yet.

Blackberry and Texting Etiquette

An increasingly large number of my clients are getting Blackberrys (or is it Blackberries…) and other texting devices. After all, it’s a tried-and-tested technology for those on the move. But speed and convenience seems to be leading to short replies that may be misinterpreted…

When your email is routed to your Blackberry and you want to reply, it’s relatively straightforward: type and send. However, the nature of the devices tends to mean that quick, one-liners are the norm. I often get these in reply, with a message footer “Sent from my Blackberry”. I know that a short and often abrupt-seeming reply is nothing more than that. Be careful, however, if you’re replying to a client or someone who may be a little more sensitive.

Interpretation of email and text messages can be very mixed. I, for one, am guilty of misunderstanding a sentence or two as mean something quite different than intended by the sender. The written messages don’t reflect the tone of the sender, so it’s prudent to take a moment and consider how the message may be interpreted.

Am I too concerned? Perhaps. But if someone sends you an email, for example “is this the best offer we can get” and you, caught up in a thousand other things, respond “yes” on your texting device, will your client think you’re being a little abrupt…even rude because they’re used to you explaining youself in “regular” email or on the phone? Will they understand BRT, LMAO or CUL8R? For those who would like to know more, here is a list of text abbreviations from Webopedia.

As technology moves forward and communication gets quicker, it’s easy to forget that what you meant to say and how it was perceived can be very easily blurred.

Here’s a Top 10 list of SMS etiquette tips from WirelessDevNt.com.

Don’t text and drive!

Dave

Texting a signal of wider trend (BBC).