Monday, September 6, 2010

Issue 2

Today, e-mail is a crucial form of communication. It can be used by employers to quickly relay messages throughout their company or on a more personal level such as sending pictures to family members. As Stephen Leahy points out in his article “The Secret Cause of the Flame Wars,” e-mail is often misinterpreted. Unlike verbal communication, the audience is left to determine the tone of the email. Often times, the audience fails to determine to correct tone due to their inability to detach themselves from their own perspective.

In order to help eliminate the misinterpretation of e-mails, we must focus on the audience and make the e-mail clear and concise by using plain English. Tone plays a big role in the understanding of e-mails as well. To achieve a tone that is conversational but still business like, we should avoid pompous language, be careful with intimacy, and be careful with humor. By following these simple steps, e-mail can be used to effectively relay information without the hassle of misinterpretations.

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