Managing Electronic Mail; Understand, Organize, and Communicate Beth Jane Toren Web Services and Reference Librarian WVU Libraries

Average Per Day 10 or less42%51% %25% %17% Over 5011%7%

Effective Management Best uses Privacy Netiquette Organizing Efficiency

Goals Increase productivity Not be bothered Not bother others

What is good for? Short and sweet messages Reaching a large audience

What about privacy? Don’t put anything on that you would not post on your door / send on a postcard Don’t think that because you delete it that it no longer exists

Netiquette: What to Avoid Reacting emotionally Responding inappropriately Individual vs. list Always check “to” line

What to Avoid Yes, I agree Light discussion Sarcasm

What to Do TIA Remind people to respond to you rather than the list If you do not send any objections… Answer promptly

What to Do Shorten long threads Use the subject line: Q A Urgent Emoticons ;-)

Tips: Timing Not too hasty unless urgent Not marked urgent or priority Receipt function if needed

Timing Hasty is dangerous Passionate Forceful Hostile

Timing Draft response Cool off an hour or a day Get coffee, run spell checker

Organizing Filing system Subject Person Category Action Read later List name Filters

Filing Systems To do list, action, today Send yourself Friends Projects

Filing System

Efficiency Address books Groups Individuals

Address Book

Efficiency Filters Automatic delete Send to a folder

Efficiency Check only twice a day Clean out weekly Save off-line

Efficiency Signatures Contact information On/Off

Efficiency Groups and lists Each member of the group monitors one list and sends relevant items to the attention of the group Digests

Tips: Subject Useful subject line Meaningful to sender and recipient Example: Meeting Better: Team meeting 4/11/01

Tips: Length Brief message Especially important ones People higher up receive a lot Message and header on one screen

Tips: Size Ask before sending large attachments > 100KB Place it on a server for downloading Varies with environment

Hoaxes, Rumors, Urban Legends Chain letters Computer viruses Charity Laws WVU Policy

WVU OIT Electronic Mail Policy Mail Violations Chain letters - It is a violation of this policy to send or forward chain letters.

Hoaxes, Rumors, Urban Legends Hoax False, deliberately deceptive information Rumor Anecdotal claims – true, false, or in between Urban Legend Popularly believed narrative, typically false

Hoax, Rumor, or Urban Legend? Bananas spread flesh-eating disease Hoax

Hoax, Rumor, or Urban Legend? Snakes kill child in Burger King ball pit Urban Legend

Hoax, Rumor, or Urban Legend? Cell phones cause gas station explosions Rumor

Tips: Environment & Content Single font Multiple fonts, colors, clip art Mixed case Emoticons ;-)

Tips: Responding/Replying Multiple fonts, colors, CASE Long – paste pertinent part Edit long threads Evolving convention >>>You wrote <<:<I write

Responding/Replying Quoting What you are replying to One sentence or a few words Enough to recognize the topic Individual vs. List Who you are replying to

Responding/Replying Quote & response What you are replying to Delete Off-topic Content you are not replying to Reformatting

Responding/Replying Thank you You’re welcome NRN – No reply needed TIA – Thanks in advance

Tips: Forwarding Sending on to other recipients One or many Add your comments Use discretion

Forwarding Fwd: Subject Introduction ---begin forwarded message end forwarded message ---

Forwarding Forwards Delete useless header info Keep sender, subject, date Forward only what is interesting Avoid changing context Copy to clipboard Delete what has piled up Paste into message

Content buried in junk & context is lost

Tips: Signatures Brief Interesting but unobtrusive Not > 5 lines high Nor > 80 characters wide

Note to self: Improve sig file

Better sig file

Eliminate Clutter Clean out weekly Handle once Fight SPAM

We speak across time and space.... May the new power promote peace between all