13 years ago, I received my first email account. I was working at MFS Telecom, and I believe we were early adopters.
According to Dave Crocker the first commercial use of the internet was in 1988. “In 1993, the large network service providers America Online and Delphi started to connect their proprietary email systems to the Internet, beginning the large scale adoption of Internet email as a global standard.”
At first, my co-workers and I weren’t sure what to do with email. But it didn’t take us long to realize that email was the best thing since sliced bread. Even though email as an application is less than 20 years old, it has almost completely replaced all other forms of communication. Email is quick, easy and efficient. And everything is good, until a tragic blunder occurs. This Instant gives a very accurate description of how you feel at that moment:
Your first major email faux paux. Your first tried and true, you-can-run-but-you-can’t-hide social blunder. Your “I thought I was relatively intelligent, but I can’t even send an email to the right people,” or worse, “I thought I had a life and a future ahead of me, but now I have none” moment.
That email horror moment has happened to almost everyone. The Technology Evangelist advocates waiting 5 minutes before sending an email to Double the Value of the Email You Send. He’s right. How many times do you hit send and then think … oh no!!! I should have included _________.
I checked to see if Seth Godin had ever given email advice. He did! Seth published an Email checklist that should be printed and hung on the wall in your office or cube.
For example:
13. Am I angry? (If so, save as draft and come back to the note in one hour).
16. Is there anything in this email I don’t want the attorney general, the media or my boss seeing? (If so, hit delete).
17. Is any portion of the email in all caps? (If so, consider changing it.)
31. If this email is to someone like Seth, did I check to make sure I know the difference between its and it’s? Just wondering.
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