Transcript Copyright and Privacy in Digital Communication

Chapter 18
Digital Communication:
Email, Instant Messages, Blogs, and Wikis
Strategies for Technical Communication in the
Workplace
Laura J. Gurak
John M. Lannon
Benefits of Email




Email can quickly and efficiently
address an individual or a group.
One email message can reach
thousands of readers in seconds.
Email is useful for people working
in different time zones.
Email allows users to attach files.
Audience and Purpose of Email



Email messages tend to be conversational
and are typically used for routine, simple
messages.
Always assume your message will travel
far beyond its original intended recipient.
Complex or important messages are best
sent through a different medium, unless
specifically requested as an email or email
attachment.
Components of Email





“To” line
“From” line
“Date” line
“Subject” line
Copy notations
 CC: carbon copy
 BCC: blind carbon copy
 Enclosure notation
 Attachment: sometimes indicated with an
icon
Netiquette


Netiquette is “internet etiquette.”
Workplace email should:
 Use proper spelling, grammar, and
punctuation
 Avoid words or phrases in all capital
letters
 Avoid text-message style abbreviations
and emoticons
 Use a professional tone
Other Types of Electronic
Communication




Instant Messaging
Blogs
Wikis
RSS Feeds
Instant Messages
 Text-based, real-time conversation
 Useful for brief, rapid exchanges
 Typically not archived
Many colleagues may prefer to
correspond via email


Use email when sending attachments
Use email if you need a paper trail
Blogs
Blog is short for web log. Blogs began as social
networking sites to provide forums for people to
read and discuss shared interests. Corporate
blogs play an increasing role in workplace
communication.
 Internal Blogs: Users can post information to be seen by
all with access
 External Blogs: Facilitate customer feedback and
enhance public relations
Wikis are a type of blog that allow for the sharing
and updating of content. Each person with
access may log on to the wiki and make changes
to the content, overwriting previous versions.
 Corporate Wikis: Users can comment on earlier posts
and edit them
RSS Feeds
An RSS feed is a retrieval program that
monitors selected sites, identifies
relevant information, and sends links by
email to subscribers
Copyright and Privacy in Digital
Communication
Copyright is a system of legal protection for
original works of authorship.
 If you are a full-time employee, most of what
you create will be owned by the company.
 If you find a file on the internet, you need to
seek permission for its use, unless it is marked
“public domain” or qualifies as fair use.
Copyright and Privacy in Digital
Communication
Privacy Issues
 Avoid forwarding email without checking
with the sender first.
 Don’t forward proprietary information
(information that belongs to your
company) to unauthorized recipients.
Any questions?
For additional help reviewing this chapter, please
visit the Companion Website for your text at
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/gurak.