1. Use filters. Filters allow you to limit or redirect the messages you see in your inbox. They can automatically move mail from the inbox directly to another folder. They can send spam directly to a junk folder or to the trash. Some email applications allow you to color code messages from selected senders. This way you will never miss a message from important contacts. Learn how to create and use filters if you use an email client such as Outlook Express, Outlook, or Thunderbird. You will find tutorials showing how, if you search the web.
   
   Gmail filters can be very sophisticated and put to unlimited use. One of my favorites is using filtering to create a personal online bookmarking system, like the del.icio.us or blinklist websites. These bookmarks (Favorites in IE) are then available on whatever computer I use as long as I have an internet connection. They are not specific to the browser I am using.
   
   
2. Back up your email data files on a regular basis. I regularly receive calls from new clients trying to recover lost files. Losing your contact information can be traumatic and often impossible to recreate.
   
   
3. Forward messages as inline text not as attachments. Please do not make your correspondents dig deep to see what you send them. If I have to dig more than one level to see what someone sent I might end up deleting the message. I know other people who agree.
   
   
4. Do not use the ‘>’ character to indent original text when replying or forwarding. This makes it difficult to read a message that has been forwarded several times. The message appears as “>>>>> some text”. If you use Outlook Express, go to ‘Tools – Options…’ Click on the ‘Send’ tab. Click on the ‘Plain Text Settings…’ button. Uncheck the checkbox ‘Indent the original text with’ and click the ‘OK’ button twice to save the change. The rest of us will thank you.
   
   
5. Do not give other people’s addresses to third parties. This means do not use a website’s “email this” link to send the link. I get spam sent to my “personal” email account because someone did this for me. I should say, “They did it to me.” If you want someone to see something, copy the website’s address, paste it into the body of an email, and send that to your recipient. This way you preserve your correspondent’s privacy.
   
   When you send email to multiple people consider placing the addresses in the BCC field rather than the To field to provide privacy.
   
   
6. Do not use Plaxo. When you use it, you are giving private and confidential information on your friends, co-workers, or family to Plaxo, without their permission. This is an invasion of their privacy and a betrayal of their confidence. There are reports that Plaxo has been used in phishing schemes so I suggest you not respond to Plaxo requests for update information.
   
   If you want to update your contact information try ContactsClinic, which performs the same function as Plaxo without releasing your contact information to a third party. It can be found at http://www.srimax.com/contactsclinic/.
   

Home - About RHFtech - Privacy Policy - Email Us
Copyright © 2006 Financial Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved.