The Philosophy of Email Checking

Okay, I have a question for you - how many times a day do you check your email?

Actually, I have a lot of questions for you (and not many answers!), such as:

* Does your email checking depend on where you are? For example, do you check your email more often during the day if you are at work than you would if you were at home? And, if yes, is it your work email you are checking? Would you wait until you are on a lunch break to check personal email if you are at work? Further, are you able to complete a separate task without taking a break to check an email, especially if you have an alert pop-up every time an email arrives?

* Have you ever sent an email to a person in your workplace who is physically less than 3 metres from you at the time? It's okay, so have I!

* Do you check email routinely? I know some people who check email first thing in the morning, then last thing at night. Would you be able to go 24 hours, 48 hours or a whole week without checking your email? Say you went on a holiday and there was no email access available (and you're already saying that you would have ascertained this as a pre-requisite prior to booking that holiday), how would you cope?

* For those of you, like me, with more than one email address, which email address do you check most frequently? Do you check your email addresses in order of preference? Which email address would you check if you only had enough time to check one?

* Now, to replying and sending - do you always reply to an email as soon as you have read it? Does it depend on who has sent you the email?

* Does the frequency at which the same person emails you increase or reduce the urgency of your need to reply? Or, once again, does it depend on who has sent you the email?

* Do you expect an email recipient to reply to you upon receiving your email within a set time frame - what is an acceptable time frame to allow for an email reply to be sent? Do your settings allow you to receive notifications of your recipients opening your email (and can you tell when a sender has this setting for their email message to you)? Under what circumstances, dare I ask, is it okay not to reply to an email at all?

Which brings me to my point - does the human control the email or does the email control the human? I know, I know, more than enough questions for one post...and I haven't even begun to consider the content of the email itself! Maybe some other time...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Modern Manners?

Yesterday, a friend told me about her recent experience of modern manners or, to be precise, a lack of any kind of manners. My friend and her family moved into a new home about a month ago, and thought that an invitation to neighbours to come for casual drinks would be nice. They felt it would provide an opportunity to say hello, exchange names and set up a "looking out for each other" idea. She said her daughter designed a simple invitation and this was delivered to nearby homes in their street. Of a total of seven invitations delivered, only three were responded to, with two accepted and one declined.

My friend wasn't upset that not everyone could make it, more the fact that she had received no response at all from more than half of those invited. She wondered why these four invitations were not even acknowledged. Her mobile phone number was on the invitation, so it would have been a simple task to send a quick text, "Thanks for the invite, but we're unable to make it. From, No 27", or similar. Were the non-responders unable to go and unsure of how to say this? Was the invitation mistaken for junk mail and put into the bin without a second glance? Were they scared that my friend and her family might never leave them alone again if they did accept the invitation? Or, were they totally unfamiliar with such an invitation and lacked the knowledge that basic manners would dictate a response?

Sadly, it is likely that this last explanation was the case. Today, not many people set out to be deliberately rude. The problem is that they haven't ever been taught certain skills of politeness. My friend accepts that this is the case and hasn't taken the collective snub personally, however, she and her family are left with a dilemma. What to do when, inevitably, they are in their front garden at the same time as No 27 neighbour is in theirs - smile non-commitally, frown or, take their neighbour's earlier lead, and ignore them completely?

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

The Etiquette of Proofreading

From the point of view of a proofreader, there's a kind of etiquette involved when a person asks you to proofread or edit their document.

My proofreading tips include:

* Respect the client and their document - the subject matter of the document is their business, often the basis of their livelihood or their future success. They are the experts in their field. If they were a proofreading expert, they wouldn't be contacting you in the first place!

* Trust is a big factor in proofreading. You may be the only other human who has read this client's document. To be trusted in such a way is quite an honour. Keep this in mind.

* Equally, confidentiality is critical. The client or their document should never be discussed outside of that particular proofreading process. Sounds obvious, I know, but I wouldn't be saying it if I didn't think it needed to be said.

* The size of the document should not be used as a guide to its importance. Some of the shortest documents I've proofread have been hugely significant to the client.

* Proofreading is about the finishing touch. Just as a chef wouldn't let a meal be sent out of the kitchen without checking it for an accidental sauce spill on the edge of the plate, a writer of any document wants to ensure that the finished product is perfect. The proofreader's job is to make that a reality.

* Be constructive. It's important not to say, 'this is wrong', and come across as some big meanie. Instead, 'I would suggest...' or 'Consider using...' is a whole lot more supportive.

* Let the corrections in red on the document speak for themselves. Some proofreaders are using green instead, in an effort to soften the blow. I find most clients are happy with whatever colour I use, as long as they are made clearly.

* Make time to explain your suggestions to the client. What might seem crystal clear to you may be completely foreign to them. Be patient!

* Lastly, don't assume because you have been asked to proofread another's work that they want you to find mistakes. It's wrong to think this way. There are those cases where all someone wants to be told is, 'great work - this is amazing', and better yet, they are willing to pay a proofreader to tell them so! Everyone wins!

The proofreading process should be a pleasant, professional one for everyone involved. It's up to you as proofreader to make this happen.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/