There are worse things than being a klutz when it comes to computer hardware and software. I tend to judge people in the computer world more on how they act rather than what they know.
My kinds of computer whizzes are those who understand things that have nothing to do with chips, bits or bytes. They know how to be polite. Today we’ll talk about some of the computer sins that even the most polite among us sometimes commit and how to avoid them.
Do-it-yourself spammers
I can deal with professional spammers just fine. Most of their work ends up in my spam folder; the other spam often reveals itself by the subject lines. My most annoying spammers are friends and acquaintances – people I care about but who drive me crazy by flooding my in-box with jokes, pictures of cats and dogs, crazed Internet rumors and the like. I enjoy email, enjoy the conversations I have that way. But I could live a long and happy life without this spam from friends.
Rude remarks
There’s something about being semi-anonymous while online that turns sheep into lions – and not in a pleasant way. My hobbies and professional interests often take me to online forums that specialize in one or another of my interests. And daily I see notes that are so rude that – if the message had been delivered in person – someone would get a punch in the nose. I’m sure that the same people would act much differently in a face to face meeting. To me, this kind of bluster and rudeness exposes the person as not skilled enough to make a logical point or win a dispute based on intelligence. So, instead, they try to win by intimidation and insults. They, in my eyes, never win – they’re losers. This sort of behavior usually ends in failure – whether the person writes a rude email or posts a crude remark online.
Hey that’s personal
People routinely forward emails they’ve received – and do it without the permission of the original sender. That’s just not right. The email was sent to you – not to a group. There may be something in that email that was intended only for your eyes. It’s up to the sender to decide who should see his email. After all, if he wanted others to see it he could have sent it to them as well.
And the blind will lead us
You may be one of those people who send out mass emails. Well, I’ve already said I’m not a fan. But let’s say – for sake of argument – that the people who receive your emails have said, “heck, yes, I’m positively fascinated by the jokes you’ve sent and the cute pictures of your cat.” There’s still a mistake you can make. When I get these things I almost always see a list of all the other recipients along with their email addresses. Some of those people might not want to have their email addresses broadcast over the Internet. There’s an easy way to avoid it. Just look for the option called BCC. That stands for “blind carbon copy” a term that took life in the days when people typed on paper and used carbon paper to make copies. What it means to you now is that, if you use it, recipients won’t see the email addresses of the others receiving your mass email.
There’s a neat rumor
You’ve received these things. They contain rumors of all sorts, almost invariably untrue. You know what I mean. Bill Gates is sending everyone in America $5,000; or the government will soon start taxing email. And those are the saner ones. Don’t send this stuff on. There’s enough misinformation in the world without your help.
What I’m saying today boils down to this. I’m sure you are terrific when operating in the flesh and blood world. So please, be that person when you are online.
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