I have heard so many horror stories about private e-mail messages that have been sent where they shouldn’t have gone.
There’s the e-mail that gives a full recollection of last night’s romantic date.
Or perhaps there’s the message about what you would like to do on tonight’s date.
Don’t forget the one about how you really feel about the boss.
You thought your friend looked atrocious in her polka gown at the charity ball?
Your mother-in-law can take what and put it where?
I think you get the picture and have possibly received or sent such a message.
A basic rule to follow:
If you wouldn’t want it on the front page of the New York Times, don’t write it or send it. You never know where your e-mail may end up.
That is a good rule of thumb. A good idea also is to not fill in the To: field until after you write the e-mail. You then have time to think about who your recipient is and whether you really want to send the e-mail.
I have made the mistake of writing an e-mail, but I was thinking of someone else and put that name in the To section instead of who I wanted to send the e-mail to. Fortunately, it was a personal e-mail and not a work e-mail. At work I always check and double check who I am sending it to and if I say I have an attachment, I make sure they are attached and that they are the rights ones.