OFFICIAL ECHO RULES for electronic communication

NEVER use email for bad news or personal criticism. Deliver bad news in person, or at least on the phone. Before hitting the send button - Save as draft is a wonderful alternative - think twice before sending anything even remotely controversial.

ALWAYS use BCC for mass emails. This keeps people from using reply all and overloading everyone's mailbox.

RESPECT Privacy - don't harvest emails for chain letters and such.

BE CAREFUL with distribution lists. Is your list accurate? Better make sure you know where this email is going before sending out a sensitive prayer request. On 2nd thought - you probably don't want to send out a sensitive prayer request at all ... Right?

Email, blogs, web sites - are public information. Don't say anything that you wouldn't want your mom to read aloud on the 6:00 news.

Background - and some good tips worth reading

At the tender age of 22 I shot my career in the foot with a careless email. Here's a link to an article with some tips that are worth reading. If I can save someone else from my plight I will consider my life to have been worthwhile [grin]. Note - if the links don't work or if they say something offensive let me know so I can remove them.

http://www.bcentral.com/articles/enbysk/150.asp

http://www.bcentral.com/articles/komando/115.asp
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,984980,00.asp