Re: Help R U There

1
Re Help! R U There?

• Effective E-mail in the 21st Century
• September 6, 2006 Kerry F. Cantwell
• cantwellk_at_durhamtech.edu

2
Effective E-mail

• The Goal
• The Reality
• The Problem
• Likely Causes
• Possible Solutions

3

• Computer Weekly estimates that, last year, 36
  BILLION e-mails were sent
• PER DAY
• (Collett).

4
Whats the Big Deal?

• E-mail is
• Cheap
• Fast
• Efficient
• No worries about time and time zones
• Broadcast messages to groups (Sherwood)
• Unintrusive
• Equalizing
• Faceless

5
The Reality

• From  bullcity79_at_hotmail.com
• To  cantwellk_at_durhamtech.edu
• Date  Monday - September 4, 2006 708 PM
• Subject  Class
• i missed clas this week what did i miss?

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The Reality

• Forum Week One Icebreaker
• Date 08-18-2006 1759
• Author Student _at_yahoo.com
• Subject feel real outcasted
• Wooow, i never knew that yall was gone sit here
  and communicate wit each other the way yall is,
  now i feel left out fo real, so i'm sayin if
  anyone wants to ask aj anything yall is more than
  welcome too..that especially means u jessey
  wessey -)
• lol but fo real ok i'ma give yall a lil bit more
  about me cuse i know the first one was a lil bit
  brief, my bday is june 17th, my hobbies is hangin
  out wit folks and talkin to ppl (dependin on
  who u are), i aint got a major yet cuse i'm an
  real indecisive person (which i'm workin on) but
  i do wanna own my own business one day and um
  i've been growin my hair for 9 years and such,
  and my ethnicity is cherokee, blackhawk, and
  black, and um in case ya aint kno i'm the guy
  that came in late wit the locks and glasses.
• i think thas about enough for right now..
• holla _at_ m

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The Problem

• Tone
• Hostile
• Casual
• Unclear
• Unclear messages
• Unnecessarily lengthy messages (captive
  audience?)
• Lack of non-verbal communication
• Spelling, grammar, and mechanics
• Slow response time (E-mail Etiquette)
• Privacy is not guaranteed (Appropriate Use).

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The Causes

• Technology
• Text messaging
• Culture of instant gratification
• Lack of empathetic review
• Unclear expectations
• Poor modeling

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Solutions?

• Appropriate use policy (E-mail Netiquette)
• http//www.durhamtech.edu/html/prospective/student
  servicesc.htmcomputing
• Network etiquette
• Syllabus policies

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Appropriate Use Policy

• The Colleges Rights
• The Individuals Responsibilities
• Other Limitations and Warnings
• Resource limits may be imposed on all systems.
  Users must abide by any resource limits set.
• Privacy is not guaranteed. While there are
  technical and administrative policies in place
  that should protect computer information,
  computer data security is never perfect.
• Unauthorized computer users may be able to breach
  security restrictions and gain access to your
  files.
• Misdirected email is not uncommon. If email is
  considered confidential, it should be sent by
  other means.
• Systems administrators and other staff members
  may require access to files on any Durham Tech
  computers to perform audits or resolve technical
  problems. The college has the right to monitor
  email transmission over its internal computer
  network. Legal mandates regarding confidentiality
  will be observed by computer staff when accessing
  data files.
• Users are responsible for backing up their data.
• Sanctions
• (Appropriate Use)

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Guidelines for Subject Lines

• Remove the Re Re Re Re re re Re
• Be specific in your subject line.
• Do not overuse the URGENT or high-priority
  options
• Be brief.

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Netiquette

• Network etiquette (netiquette) guidelines exist
  to ensure
• Professionalism
• Efficiency
• Protection from liability (E-mail Etiquette)

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Guidelines for Content and StyleSending E-mail

• An e-mail message is a written record. Do not
  write anything you would not say in public
  (Harness E-Mail).
• Include a greeting.
• Consider your tone.
• Read over your message BEFORE sending.
• Review the address line BEFORE sending.

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Sending E-mail

• Be specific and brief.
• Use white space.
• DO NOT USE ALL CAPS!
• Use emoticons to let people know when you are
  joking. ) )
• Angry? Do NOT start typing. Do not use e-mail to
  chastise others. This is called a flame and
  will come back to haunt you.

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Sending E-mail

• Make expectations clear. Need a response? Ask
  for it by a specific date (Hughes).
• Avoid text message-style abbreviations like BTW
  or LOL.
• Dont be seduced by formatting options.
• ALWAYS include your name and contact information
• SPELLING, people! SPELLING.

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Responding to E-mail

• Be a forgiving reader (Fowler 829).
• Answer all questions.
• Respond as promptly as you can (E-mail
  Etiquette)
• Only forward an e-mail with permission.

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Guidelines for Syllabus Policies

• Let them know your expectations.
• State policies about appropriate language via
  e-mail.
• State policies about appropriate e-mail
  addresses.
• Give examples of the types of communication you
  expect.

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Guidelines for Syllabus Policies

• From  cantwellk_at_durhamtech.edu
• To  leasel_at_durhamtech.edu  
• Date  Tuesday - September 5, 2006 708 PM
• Subject  OLC student enrollment request
• Dear Laura,
• Per her request attached here, please enroll Lucy
  Jones in the Online Writing Center. She is a
  student in my English 111 course this semester.
• Thanks for your help. Let me know if you have
  any questions.
• --kerry cantwell
• Kerry F. Cantwell
• English Instructor--Arts, Sciences, and
  University Transfer
• Durham Technical Community College
• 1637 Lawson Street
• Durham, NC 27703
• 919-686-3784
• cantwellk_at_durhamtech.edu

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Guidelines for Syllabus Policies

• Example from my policies
• You MUST include your name, your course (Eng
  112), and your section number (190) in all
  e-mails you send to me. I have gotten too many
  e-mail messages from people who don't identify
  themselves or who ask me an assignment question
  without identifying what class they are taking.
  Save me the headache of having to look up each
  and every one of you when you e-mail me. Thanks
  so much!

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Summary

• Remember your e-mail is NOT private.
• Model behaviors.
• Set reasonable expectations up front.
• Be brief.
• Be specific.
• Be accountable.

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Works Cited

• Appropriate Use of Computing Resources Policy.
  Durham Technical Community College. 2006. 5 Sept.
  2006 tudentservicesc.htmcomputing.
• Collett, Peter. Neglect of E-mail Etiquette Can
  Ruin Business Relationships. Computer Weekly 23
  Nov. 2004 36.
• E-mail Etiquette. E-mail Replies.com. 2004. 5
  Sept. 2006 .
• E-mail Netiquette. Yale University Library.
  2006. 5 Sept. 2006 aining/netiquette/index.html.
• Fowler, H. Ramsey, ed. The Little, Brown
  Handbook. 10th ed. New York Pearson Longman,
  2007.
• Harness E-Mail E-Mail Etiquette. Learn the
  Net. 6 Jan. 2006. 5 Sept. 2006 enet.com/english/html/65mailet_2.htm.
• Hughes, Stephanie Williams. Email Etiquette.
  OWL at Purdue University. 2002. 5 Sept. 2006
  ett.html.
• Sherwood, Kaitlin Duck. A Beginners Guide to
  Effective Email. World Wide Webfoot Press. 23
  May 2001. 5 Sept. 2006 ice/email.top.html.