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I have recently received a Virus Warning from a well intentioned list
member. That email has prompted this message. Email use and the spreading of
viruses is growing so fast that we all need to take a look at our personal email
habits and start practicing a more cautious approach when sending email.
The message I received had been carbon copied(CC) to seven other
recipients. All of whom I now have access to their email addresses. This email
had been forwarded from a friend of hers, who forwarded it from a friend of
hers, who forwarded it from a friend of his. You get the general picture. If I
forward it on to 10 more people, the next recipient will have access to a very
large collection of email addresses. Do you still wonder how you end up getting
so much junk mail in your inboxes.
#1 - The first rule of email forwarding should be - DON'T! Don't forward
email unless you believe there is a real value to the recipient. Even better, ask permission from your contacts before you start sending them unsolicited email. Failing that, provide an unsubscribe option.
#2 - Cut and paste only the pertinent parts of the message. If the email
has many of these >>>>>>>, delete them or don't forward the
email. I won't even read an email that has hundreds of these scattered throughout
the message. It goes right into the trashcan.
#3 - Also be sure to delete the names of all of those forwarded recipients
who came before you. With luck, the next person who receives an email with
your name on it will do the same.
#4 - Do not use the CC or Carbon Copy portion of your email program when
sending to multiple recipients. Use the BCC or Blind Carbon Copy feature. Every
good email program has one. You have to read your help files to be able to
find it in some email programs.
Outlook Express users will find an option in the View portion of the
top menu bar called.... All Headers.....put a check mark beside this and watch
the BCC box pop up in your message.
Netscape Users...sorry I don't use that program but I will include that
tip in a future email, which you will receive only if you click on the
subscribe button at the bottom of this message.
#5 - DON'T TYPE YOUR ENTIRE MESSAGE IN CAPITALS!!!.
This is the Internet equivalent of shouting at the recipient and it is more difficult to read.
#6 - In the To: portion of the email type in your own email address.
You could use the address of one of the recipients, but why divulge even one person's email address. I wouldn't appreciate it if you used my address here. Since you are already identified as the sender, there is no further harm in also being identified as the recipient.
#7 - If you forward a Virus Warning be sure to research it first. Visit http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?cid=10007 before sending that warning and see if it really is a virus. There have been many hoaxes that have asked people to delete virus infected files from their hard drives. In many cases these are files that are required to run Windows and suddenly their computers don't work properly anymore.
#8 - Don't you hate it when you see these words at the end of your email 'Pass this on to 10 friends or you will have bad luck for the rest of the year' or something similar? I have heard hundreds of complaints about these chain letters. Don't forward it! No one has ever told me that they like these chain letters. So why do we pass them on? If the message is one that you really want to forward to someone, copy and paste into a new email the pertinent portion of the message and don't include the 'pass this on to 10
people' portion.
#9 -
Get the AVG Free Antivirus program here... or
purchase a good Antivirus program such as AVG or Norton Antivirus and keep your Virus data files updated.
#10 - Protect your valuable data do not open an attachment without first ensuring it has been checked by your updated anti-virus software. As an additional measure - do not open an attachment when the sender has not entered his name in the body of the message and be sure you recognize the name.
Worms can send messages from your email program without your knowledge. They are not smart enough yet, to know your name.
Worms can send messages from your email program without your knowledge. They are not smart enough yet, to know your name.
#11 - Don't leave the subject line blank. Many people will simply delete a message that has no subject line or they may have a spam filter that will block email with no subject. Make it short and descriptive, making it easier to remember the message later when they browse their inbox.
That's all I have for now folks. Check back occasionally for updates.
If you found these tips valuable and you would like to pass them on don't
forget:
1) Open a new message
2) Enter multiple recipients names in the BCC:
field and your name in the To: field
3) Copy and paste the pertinent part of the message into
your email
In this case I
hope you find the entire message to be pertinent
4) Click Send Mail Now
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Last updated: June 22, 2010