I make sure that I don’t discriminate against any email, no matter what the subject title says, or who it is from. Although this strategy may be a bit more time consuming than just reading the subject head and clicking “delete”, it is also very beneficial because I begin to develop a sense about which emails will be important before I even read the message. By reading each email, I make sure that I will not accidentally delete an email that contains important information (we’ve all been there at least once). In addition, I try to be cautious when I respond to emails, especially if it is with people I am not too familiar with, or have only spoken to a few times in person. Because of this, I tend to always reply with proper grammar and punctuation, so I don’t make a bad impression or look like a fool in the process. With text messaging and online messaging, there is a constant influx of new phrases and abbreviations to keep up with that not everyone may be familiar with. As a result, saying something like “gtg” or “ttyl” may lose its entire meaning if the other person is not knowledgeable in internet slang. In the end, proper email etiquette is something I adhere to closely as I tend to stress formality over convenience.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Email strategy
When I wake up in the morning, I check my email. When I’m about to leave for class, I check my email. When I go to the library, I check my email. When I go back to my dorm, I check my email. When I’m about to start my homework, I check my email. When I’m about to go to bed, I check my email. Bottom line? My email will inevitably be open one way or another. Although email may seem like an unhealthy addiction to some, it is a necessity for me in order to keep up with all the latest updates as soon as they arrive. Ever since I created my first gmail account in 10th grade, email has become such a prevalent force in my life, that whenever I see a computer around, my first thought is to open up my email. Since then, I have created several other accounts for different purposes, but they all filter into my one gmail account for ease of access. Although I receive many emails from different people and organizations, I tend to read and reply to all of them in the same manner. Whether it is from a family member, a close friend, a teacher, a stranger, or a club organization, the way in which I approach the email does not change. After briefly scanning the subject title, I will open the message to assess its importance, and whether or not I need to respond quickly. When I do decide to respond, I will open with a simple “Hello ”, if it is for an informal response, or “Dear ” for more formal responses. However, the way in which I compose the message is always proper, just as if I was writing an essay for class. Everything I say in an email has a purpose and a tone, whether it is serious, sarcastic, informative, or silly; I constantly check and re-read my message before sending it to make sure each point gets across clearly, especially since it is very easy for messages to be misinterpreted online.
I make sure that I don’t discriminate against any email, no matter what the subject title says, or who it is from. Although this strategy may be a bit more time consuming than just reading the subject head and clicking “delete”, it is also very beneficial because I begin to develop a sense about which emails will be important before I even read the message. By reading each email, I make sure that I will not accidentally delete an email that contains important information (we’ve all been there at least once). In addition, I try to be cautious when I respond to emails, especially if it is with people I am not too familiar with, or have only spoken to a few times in person. Because of this, I tend to always reply with proper grammar and punctuation, so I don’t make a bad impression or look like a fool in the process. With text messaging and online messaging, there is a constant influx of new phrases and abbreviations to keep up with that not everyone may be familiar with. As a result, saying something like “gtg” or “ttyl” may lose its entire meaning if the other person is not knowledgeable in internet slang. In the end, proper email etiquette is something I adhere to closely as I tend to stress formality over convenience.
I make sure that I don’t discriminate against any email, no matter what the subject title says, or who it is from. Although this strategy may be a bit more time consuming than just reading the subject head and clicking “delete”, it is also very beneficial because I begin to develop a sense about which emails will be important before I even read the message. By reading each email, I make sure that I will not accidentally delete an email that contains important information (we’ve all been there at least once). In addition, I try to be cautious when I respond to emails, especially if it is with people I am not too familiar with, or have only spoken to a few times in person. Because of this, I tend to always reply with proper grammar and punctuation, so I don’t make a bad impression or look like a fool in the process. With text messaging and online messaging, there is a constant influx of new phrases and abbreviations to keep up with that not everyone may be familiar with. As a result, saying something like “gtg” or “ttyl” may lose its entire meaning if the other person is not knowledgeable in internet slang. In the end, proper email etiquette is something I adhere to closely as I tend to stress formality over convenience.
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I completely agree with you that e-mail can be addicting. I tend to check mine just as often to be sure I'm not missing out on anything. I have heard a lot about g-mail accounts but am still unsure of just how it works. I assume it combines many email accounts into one? I'll have to check that out! Furthermore, your greetings of either "Hello" or "Dear" do make sense, however I also feel a simple "Hello Mr./Mrs./Miss _____" is also appropriate as "Dear" is almost too formal for email. However, I do agree that I will also check over my message before I send it to be sure that it portrays my message correctly.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you exaggerated the point on how many times you read your email because this is mostly true for everyone. Email can be very addicting and take up a lot of one's time It is interesting that you approach every email the same way no matter who it is you are talking to. I really cannot believe that you open up every email you get. This must be very time consuming and I feel that by reading the subject, if it is most likely junk mail or spam, there is no reason to open up the email.
ReplyDeleteI also find that I'm checking my email all the time. I get emails pushed to my phone. So, actually I get them when I'm doing anything. I also tailor my emails depending on the recipient. While some are more formal than others, I generally start with the person's name. However, I do discriminate when it comes to checking my email. If it's a newsletter that I didn't sign up for, but I get it anyway, I generally just mark it as read. Or if it's an email sent out to a group I'm in, I check to see if the subject pertains to me, and then I move on.
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