Yesterday I received two email messages sent to large adhoc groups of people. One was from an individual in a medical center, letting her professional contacts know about a job opening. Another was from a parent who wanted to know whether anyone had videotaped a concert in which his child had performed. His camera had failed him, and he hoped to hear that rousing “Pirates of the Caribbean” medley again.
Both people broke a rule of email etiquette: they exposed all their contacts’ email addresses. They put recipients’ addresses in the CC (courtesy copy) line rather than the BCC (Blind courtesy copy) line.
So now, if I wanted to use email to solicit business at Microsoft, AAA, Pemco, Boeing, Codesic, Medtronic, Corbis, and dozens of other companies, I would have email addresses to use.
Both writers should have followed my Email Tip Number 82: Use BCCs to keep addresses confidential.