Module 2.1 - My Understanding

Email Basics - I only learnt the other day that simple plain text based emails are much more effective than html. The other day i sent out a large number of emails for my website to pet associations who wanted more information about our services, whilst using an online software to track & report on whom read & opened this email. I found when sending from HTML the recipient had to download images & pages with a warning that came up to see the whole email, therefore even though this email was going to businesses that requested information we did not get many people opening the email due to the warning that came up. So then i sent it again via plain-text & almost double the recipients read the email. Plain text is a smaller email and a efficient way to get your desired emails out to those clients. This is just one way in which plain-text can be more effective from my experiences.

Subjects - I don't think i have ever sent an email without a subject! Why would you leave it blank, you want the recipient to get it immediately and grab there attention - to do this you use a subject heading. I really liked the points Module 2 outlined about what words & important phrases to use for emails to get the recipient to act/read/do. I will definitely try this out at work!

Quoting - Something i do quite often at work especially if a colleague is telling me that i never asked them to do that task i am waiting on. So i quote the original task at hand back to them in to show that i originally did ask for it to be done. HOwever as the module outlines there is limitations - but i overcome them via sending an attached email of the original email to show proof of where/when it came from.

The Look - I am very fussy about how my emails look. I send them all the same way to ensure consistency & a clean simple email is a must! I also use white spaces & am very picky about the line spacing. I also put my text in blue to keep it separate from the recipient. Really helps when i am searching for something from a previous email.

Formating - RTF - Very helpful at work when trying to open an MYOB file that was used via a MAC computer when we are PC! We have to use formating programs/ insert .rtf to convert the files to ensure they are readable on our end! This is really helpful & a quick way to open the file you're looking for.

Security - Very important! As the module outlined it is extremely important to be aware of what you're opening before you accept & open. With the amount of exposure we have now with the internet i always ensure i know the source before opening otherwise i won't open it.

Email management - what would i do without my trusty email directory. I really do benefit from having this set up on my PC at work and also for client based work. It benefits me because i can keep a history or advice given/received, what has been said, what hasn't been said for that matter & many other reasons for the workplace. For example i am an accountant who works for a chartered accounting firm BUT i also am a financial controller for one of our biggest clients. As i am not in the office at the physical address i run almost EVERYTHING through email. So this keeps things really efficient especially when i'm looking for something historical that i need to trace, quote, find i can search through my directory and not rely on my brain to remember! I would recommend anyone who works in the workplace to set up an email management system to file every record of emails. It comes in handy when someone says you haven't done something or never received it, it gives me GREAT pleasure to pull up an email and show them that it was actually done! It gets them every time (Grinning with much satisfaction)

Search function - This i find is also really helpful, as the module outlines it saves time and is really valuable with large folders. I have a training folder for tax and if i come across something i am unsure about say for eg. The thresholds for family tax benefit 2008, i type in keywords and it locates any training notes i have sent myself and saves a lot of time to locate this information. It can be used in many ways but i mainly use this function for this purpose.

Newsgroup - To think that a few uni students started this informative way of communication is trully unbelievable. Where would you even start to think about something like this? I found this concept really interesting so i clicked on for more

To think that all these steps happen when accessing a newsgroup is quite astonishing especially when it happens in a blink of an eye. I never really knew how much back end work is done to get these types of cummication gateways to work. But so worth it!

Chat & Messaging - When i first began using the internet i began using ICQ, i became obsessed and nowadays it's msn (when i have time). This unique method of communication has come a far way from when Alexander Graham Bell's design of the telephone was introduced. If only he could see us now! The map of online communities by Randall Munroe is a really great image as it shows the internet as a "world" & It puts everything in context.

What i think about virtual chat - I think it is a very creative & interactive way to communicate but i think it is for people who have way to much time on their hands. As much as i love communication and creativity i think the faster & convieniant the communication the better, i don't need virtual characters to portray myself even though i'm all for representing one self!
P.S I love the avators in our module. Especially the powerful girl, she looks like can she do anything. If only i had more time :)

You know what, i am going to give it a go and experience it for what it is.. I checked out your guide to virtual worlds to find out more.

All in all i found Module 2 very interesting and affirming in the way i use the beneficial tooks of email communication. YAY, i'm doing something right! Mod 2 really shows the intricacies of one to one, many to many electronic communication tools & how effective/useful they can be.