EMAIL TASKS:
The email tutorial was a good refresher, although I didn’t learn anything new.
1. What information about a user’s email, the origin of a message, and the path it took, can you glean from an email message?
An email message is made up of the username (often the name of the person the email is from), and the domain name, the domain from where the email is being sent (such as the ISP). Sometimes the organisation name is included with the individual's name, so you can identify that it has come from that person’s work address, as opposed to their personal address. Sometimes if the email history is attached (you are the 3rd, 4th or 5th etc. recipient of the email), by scrolling through the history you can see the different recipients the mail has been sent to, and where it originated, prior to you receiving it, as well as identifying those that were responsible for forwarding the email at each step. It also shows the ‘type’ of recipients according to whether they’ve been included in the To or Cc fields.
Obviously there is also the subject of the email, and a symbol notifying if any attachment(s) exist. Also on my email there is a time stamp, not only locale, but also the time difference from GMT, which is useful for determining response times/urgencies of replies etc. This would be useful when replying to someone in a different country. Ie. more understanding of response/reply timeframes if times zone differences are large.
2. In what cases would you find it useful to use the ‘cc’ ‘bcc’ and reply all functions of email?
Cc=carbon copy. This is useful for sending a copy of the email to people other than those listed in the ‘To’ field.
For example; send and email to your manager confirming a team meeting for 10am on Tuesday, and also ‘cc’ your team members (subordinates) the same email so they know that the meeting has been scheduled and at what day/time, so they know you will be unavailable at that time.
NB: All recipients can see addresses (other recipients) in the To and Cc fields the email has been sent to.
If you are cc’d (carbon copied) an email, you can distinguish that the email is not addressed to you personally, however the contents of the email has been assessed as useful for you to know what has been sent to the actual addressee(s) (designated by those in the ‘To’ field).
Bcc-Blind carbon copy. (sometimes called blocked carbon copy). Exactly what is says. Addresses included in this field cannot be seen by other recipients in the To, Cc, or Bcc fields. This is useful for discreetly informing someone else of the message, without other recipients being aware of it.
Reply-All function is useful when participating in group discussion by email as the 1 email is sent to all addresses in the To and Cc fields. Conversely the reply function replies only to the sender’s address.
3. In what ways can you ensure that an attachment you send will be easily opened by the receiver?
The first approach is the ask the recipient of the prefered format.
If in doubt, text-file attachment can be sent in plain text (ASCII). Plain text files can be viewed by anyone, regardless of what software they have, even on a Macintosh pc (however contain no formatting). To retain formatting, combined with readability, rtf (rich-text format) documents are next best as they can be read by most software these days, (arguably html files are widely readable these days too as most people using email facility with also have html software to read these files). Picture and music files can be more specific and is best to check with the recipient. If files are large, it is also good practice to zip (compress) them which makes the file smaller, and quicker to send/download.
4. What sorts of filters or rules do you have set up, and for what purpose?
On my personal email I use a ‘spam’ filter which operates extremely effectively by placing all deemed junk email in the ‘spam’ folder. I still usually have a quick glance in that folder though to make sure nothing has been accidentally identified as spam – especially when I’m expecting an email from a ‘new’ source or contact. I also have mail forwarding on some accounts, such as Curtin! Not much email is received in this account, and by having it forwarded, I don’t have to keep logging into the Oasis site to check for mail, as I get allerted to any Oasis email in my main email account which I operate daily.
5. How have you organised the folder structure of your email and why?
I have quite a large account size, and thus use my email like a storage filing cabinet. Therefore I use folders quite extensively to keep everything organised so that I can find ‘archived’ emails quickly and precisely on many different topics. I even sometimes write emails to myself containing information I want to keep online, and then file that email in a folder so I can refer to it when needed.
The standard ‘system’ folders are Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Spam, and Trash. I have 12 other personal folders (topics) that I sort all sorts of information into from recipes to traveling journals. (too much to go into here, but it works very well).
I don’t subscribe to lists by choice, however when I do have to (to download trail software for example) I register with an alternative email address. That way there is no chance of my ‘good’ email account being corrupted with junk from email lists. I used this same approach for the lists and newsgroup exercises for this unit.
EMAIL LISTS:
What are the pros and cons of email lists versus discussion boards?
I think the greatest difference (and therefore pro/con) between these two mediums is how the information is gained. Everyone on an email list is sent the information at the same time (whether you want to respond to it or not). This information is sent to your email address which you then have to sort, and delete the information you don’t need or want.
DB posts however aren’t (normally) sent to your email account. Information is obtained by ‘logging on’ to the board and scrolling the information for something that interets you. The big difference obviously being, is that you don’t have to delete (or store) information that doesn’t interest you.
DB are arguably more organised as well, as they are generally categorised into speparate topic threads, again making searching quicker/easier.
Some DB can be quite public however, and this aspect needs to be considered when responding. Some email lists can be small, and therefore more closely knit. Conversely though, some email lists end up beng the front for junk emailers and your email will forever more be inundated with spam (a real inconvenience if you registered with an important email address)!
Are there certain kinds of communication or purposes more suited to one than the other?
Email lists are probably best suited to smaller groups (to avoid copius amounts of feeds, advertising, etc. that you probably don’t really need, or will never get around to reviewing). Possibly the most well known type of email list is a work or sporting team list, where the list is small enough that each member probably knows most of the other members.
DB are possibly more akin to online chatting. And therefore information may not always be timely or reliable, thus it is best suited to more ‘social’ type communicaion. Nonetheless, if seeking out very specific information, due to the topical structure of DB, chances are you’ll find it quicker on a DB than registering with an email list.
NEWSGROUPS:
The newsgroup I followed in an area of interest was, rec'travel.europe on Google Groups. There were a number of posts about London, and having lived in London for several years I felt 'qualified' to enter the discusion (al beit being only light discussion)... :)
This is a 'cut n paste' of my newsgroup message:
From: myuniem...@yahoo.com.au -
Date: Thurs, Jan 4 2007 2:45 pm
Email: myuniem......@yahoo.com.au
Groups:rec.travel.europe
news.ntlworld.com wrote:
> >The increases - of up to 33 per cent on buses and underground
> >trains - have come under fierce attack, with rail operators
> >accused of trying to price passengers out to combat overcrowding.
>Only way of keeping all the bloody tourists off the Tube and letting
>the locals get around.
Good theory - however I can't see it being any more successful than the congestion charge reducing the number of motorists!. Either way, I guess Ken has to start getting money from somewhere to pay for the tube upgrades required for the games!?
The link to this discussion is:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.travel.europe/browse_frm/thread/b0f79f44d972c0ca/#
Another was about what to do in Munich, Germany:
From:myuniem...@yahoo.com.au
Date:Sat, Jan 6 2007 11:15 pm
Email:myuniem...@yahoo.com.au
Groups:rec.travel.europe
Brinner wrote:
> I'm heading to Munich for the 2nd time in February, for 2 days
> before I hit Austria to ski. The last time was only 2 days as well
> and I mainly just wandered and ate bratwurst. Can anyone
> reccomend some things I might have missed that would have been
> nice.
> Brian
Personally I loved Neuschwanstein Castle, only a short train journey from Munich. If you like the outdoors the surrounding woods of the castle are perfect for a days walking too (al beit it might be a bit cool in February). A picture and info about the castle can be found at http://www.neuschwanstein.com/english/index.htm
The link to this discussion is:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.travel.europe/browse_frm/thread/b47fc30070b3c86b/d4d745cba9ff0fde?
I was actually quite surprised how much discussion the first post received. So my initial perception that newsgroups are only suiteable for non-urgent communication has now slightly varied. Indeed, if you have a question it is worth trying a newsgroup, as chances are you will obtain feedback from someone! {just don't rely solely on this source for timely accurate information, otherwise you could be disappointed - but I guess that rule applies to many things :) }
ICQ:
Unable to do the exercise ... and just found out why (LOL):
Message no. 100
Author: Cynthia Verspaget
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 11:14
Hi All,
The ICQ user "netstudies" isn't available, replace this task with
organised chats or inquiries amongst yourselves :)
Cheers
Cynth
So to replace this exercise i participated in the webct discussion on 2/1/2007. Below is an extract of the discussion.
Andrew Threadgold>>My last Q - does this chat 'replace the ICQ module activity
Vicki Whyte>>bye Nagi
Niina Talikka>>If someone's name is highlighted, just click below the list to clear the selection.
Vicki Whyte>>okay Niina ... it's very strange
Cynthia --Verspaget>>Andrew: yes it definitely can :)
Andrew Threadgold>>oh good! :)
Nicola Mouton>>Thanks for setting this up Cynthia. :-)
Below are my observations about this type of chat:
This was an enjoyable exercise, however most notably about this form of chat, is that one really needs to be able to type quickly to keep up with the flow of the conversation, otherwise by the time your comment is 'posted' the discussion has changed topic, or there are so many other posts between yours, and the one you are answering that it is difficult to make sense of your post - as can be seen from just 7 posts in the above example.
Also due to the 'pace' of chat, and rushed typing, more spelling mistakes etc. invariably occur.
I have used MSN messenger with one-on-one discussions with assignment partners in the past successfully, however in a group (4-5 +), i personally feel the discussion is just too fast, and other mediums may be more useful - considering accuracy, quality of chat, consistent flow etc. etc.
I know it is slightly different, however these days, skype is becoming more common too, and a possible 'replacement' to IM (instant messaging). I prefer skype as more can be said quicker than it can be typed.
REFLECTIONS:
This topic introduced a number on concepts. At this stage I can’t really understand what these concepts really have to do with anything. Not saying they aren’t true, but rather that they seem a bit ‘over the top’ with theory. Theory is only theory at the end of the day!
Nonetheless a couple I did appreciate; including Concept 10 ‘Automation’. I agree that the use of features like ‘cc’ and ‘bcc’ etc. can be real time savers, as can automatic email forwarding. In the same way that I check my spam folder for mis-flagged items, I agree with the concept’s idea that one shouldn’t just blindly use automated systems just because they’re available (1).
Also Concept 13 ‘ Communication is not complete upon receipt’. Because I use my email like a filing cabinet I must consistently act upon the communication that I receive, whether it be replying to a message, or storing the information in a folder, or even deleting it as unwanted email so it doesn’t clutter the rest. The concept’s point is also quite poignant – we can’t expect others to be as efficient (timely with responses) in their emailing as what we are (1).
I have been using email for sometime and analysing (pondering over) the additional concepts isn’t being productive. Whilst the other mediums mentioned in this module have been interesting, and I have learnt a little more about them, I still won’t really use them. Therefore as a matter of prioritising time/information, I won’t discuss the concepts related to those topics here either.
(#) = See appropriate reference number in Reference List / Bibliography
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