© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 1 Chapter 16 and Instant Messaging Technical Communication, 12 th Edition John M. Lannon Laura Gurak

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 2 Benefits of  Lack of real-time constraints  Efficient filing, retrieval, and forwarding  Attachments  Democratic communication  Creative thinking  Collaboration and research

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 3 Parts and Format Heading (To, From, Date, Subject) Brief, To-the-Point Introduction Body Brief Conclusion

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 4 When to Not use  Don’t use when a more personal medium is preferable.  Don’t use for a detailed discussion.  Don’t use for most formal correspondence.  Don’t use when you are conveying copyrighted information  Don’t use your work when conveying private information

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 5 Instant Messaging  Text-based, real-time conversation  Useful for rapid exchanges  Use to send attachments or if a paper trail is needed

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 6 Any questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at