Email Etiquette
I get emails every day that show that many people do not know how to use proper etiquette when composing, replying, and forwarding emails to others. In this post, I discuss other people's addresses and exposure to serious problems. I may add other posts about this as time goes on.
Know this:
It is totally inappropriate to send an email to someone with other people's email addresses visible to that person.
There is no argument here. The reason is privacy - as simple as that. If you forward someone's email to someone else, clean out any and all email addresses that show up other than your own. If you send an email to more than one person (send = create, reply, or forward), use the BCC field. BCC stands for "blind carbon copy", and is a very old term. It means send the email so no one can see any other address you are sending it to. If, when you create, reply, or forward an email to others, you do not see the BCC field (it should be the field under TO and CC), use the HELP function in your email program to find out how to make it show up. It is different for every program, so I won't go into that here.
Let me explain how viruses, spamware, and other malware work. They scan a number of items on your PC to find addresses they can send themselves to. They go through your address book and your emails themselves and cull out those addresses. Then they send themselves out to those addresses from other addresses in the list (they don't necessarily look like they came from the computer they originate out of). Of course, if the malware is on your computer, then everyone in your address book may get emails from your computer with the malware in them. Often, those emails do not say they came from you.
Here's the part where privacy comes in. If someone sent you an email message with 50 addresses of people you don't know or have in your address book, you are now responsible for as many as 50 more people who may get infected directly from you, and who knows how many thousands if they get infected. The malware wouldn't have gone out to those people (through you, anyway) if the person sending you the message had followed privacy rules and Internet etiquette.
So, here's what happens. If you send me an email with other people's addresses exposed, you are making ME responsible for their safety. I find that a terrible burden, and I resent having that responsibility foisted upon me. You should feel EXACTLY the same way if someone does that to you.
Be nice and follow Internet etiquette. Start a revolution!
I just came here from BadAstronomy. I cannot tell you how often I have told other people the very things in this post. So far, I don't think it done any good (since the very people I have told the dangers to still forward me email with a gazillion addresses exposed), but I will keep trying. You explained why much better than I ever have, though, so perhaps I will start linking people here instead.
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I actually enjoy getting chain email from folks who have simply forwarded the evil stuff, leaving the email address of the original sender(s) visible. That way I can send the forwarders polite yet stern emails about how rude/foolish/boorish they have been.
But your comment on BCC'ing most recipients is very good advice. You may wish to add a caveat for internal business emails, though, as knowing who has received an email can be very important.
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Jewel -
Thank you for coming here and doubly thanks for the comment. (And 5x bonus point for everyone you send here!)
I have wanted a forum for years in which to post those exact words. It is unfortunate that, like raising babies, people are allowed to use the Internet without proper instruction. It isn't their fault; they just don't know.
So, voila! I can now say it to the world! (And as Phil might say, I just wish it was listening!)
Thanks!
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Tom -
Are you also from Bad Astronomy? Thank you, too, for being here.
I agree with what you say about business. I get to remember that my audience spans many spheres in their lives, not just as homeowners and individual users!
Thank you for reading!
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Hi Sid, another one sent by your brother: expect a few more, I think! Nice blog you have here. I'm in I.T. too - I'm a software developer in the UK. I recently had a grumpy day and got sent one of those public mass emails by a friend. I sent him a polite educational reply, but then one of the people on the list, only minutes later, used the list to send a spam to everyone else on it! I'm afraid I flew off the handle and flamed them both, for which I am ashamed, and I had to apologize. But it drives me mad that people don't understand that what they have done is exactly like using SMS to send your phone number to 100 other cellphone users - only worse because of the malware issues...
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Mike -
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I don't agree.
Yes forwards should be cleaned up, and not contain previous addressees in the body of the message. However, that is completely different than CC vs BCC.
But if someone is sending out an email to a bunch of people why would I want to receive the same FWD 10 times just because everyone decides to use BCC instead of CC.
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I understand how you feel, but the reason you would want to receive the message ten times (assuming you mean that others who get it will forward it to you not knowing you already got it) is that the hassle of getting it more than once is not anywhere equal to the hassle of getting infected or having your identity stolen. Unfortunately, with the vast majority of email on the Internet being spam and other malware (over 80%) daily, and the number of malware applications growing every day, many things are inconvenient. But, just like avoiding the walk through a bad neighborhood even though you have to go three blocks out of your way, you're better off doing that then being dead (or infected, in this case.)
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From an etiquette standpoint, I follow the rule that mail addressed "to recipient" does not require a reply.
When Bloomingdales sends me an announcement of their sale, addressed "to occupant" no one is expecting my RSVP.
So - if I get email, or mail, or a phone call, that is personal, I respond. If it's bulk I pitch it toward the nearest trash can.
A list of 50 names is rarely personal, but I received an invitation today with 4 names, which let me know more about the event, so I replied.
There is one notable exception - and that's Jerry Morris' list - where I am always grateful to be included!
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Wendy -
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BCC is useful in certain cases, but I certainly wouldn't bother using BCC for an email to my family. But I've never thought about the problem of virus infection, so I'll be more careful in the future.
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Argh, yeah, so much trouble when you don't use BCC. I've been infected that way before and I was really upset. BCC is like the greatest email feature ever. Thanks for reminding everyone of that!
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