Guidelines for Posts to the Class Discussion List

You should make sure you put a subject in in every email you write. The governing rule in all communication is to make communication easier for your audience. Each additional step or thought you require of an audience, the more likely they are not to grant you the privilege of a fair hearing.

On this same note, when sending your essay drafts to the class discussion list, and you compose your email in a word processor, take the time to copy and paste your text into the body of your email. Do not send an attachment which requires the extra step of being opened in an additional program. If you compose in a word processor, take the time to format your draft in a way which can be read easily. You should not assume everyone in your audience can open a Word document or, for that matter, any one word processor. The closest thing we have to a standard format is pdf, and even a pdf file requires an additional step to open. One way to avoid the copy and paste routine is to compose your drafts in gmail.

Finally, every email sent to the class discussion list should use full sentences and paragraphs. If you are sending an essay draft, it should have a title. Every email should be signed. Authors than responsibility for what they say with a by line or signature. Last but not least, take a moment to proofread your work at least once. Emails don't have to be perfect in every surface level feature. Emails are closer to spoken speech than, say, an essay, but again, if you make the effort to use a shared grammar and usage, then you make your audience's life easier.

Remember the advice Vonnegut gave to all writers, "Pity the reader."

For more information on how to compose effective emails, here are a couple of links:

http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol11/email.htm

http://www.43folders.com/2005/09/19/writing-sensible-email-messages

http://www.googobits.com/articles/356-the-essentials-of-writing-effective-emails.html


Steve