Net Stuff - Instructions : Use BCC Please


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Use BCC Please when Sending Mass Emails.

This information is intended not only to make you a neater "e-mailer" but one that is more considerate and more thoughtful...

Would you write your friends' phone numbers on the walls of public places?

If you answer no, then why would you spread their E-mail addresses to a bunch of strangers, many of whom will in turn forward the same addresses to even more strangers? Don't do it! Instead, use the BCC feature of your E-mail program.

BCC means Blind Carbon Copy. It is a way of addressing mail to more than one person so that everyone's address is not displayed for all to see. Every E-mail program, even free, web-based E-mail services, allow you to address messages using BCC, in other words, to "BCC" one or more recipients. Some require that you provide at least ONE address in the TO: field. If this is the case, place YOUR OWN address in the TO: field and all your recipients' addresses on the BCC field.

Why do this?

Using BCC protects your recipients' E-mail addresses from being spread to strangers.
Using BCC helps prevent SPAM (Unsolicited Commercial E-mail)
When using BCC, messages will be easier on your readers because they will be smaller, with fewer addresses on each message. They will even download faster.
Using BCC shows your consideration of others by not publishing hundreds of your friends' addresses to strangers and potentially, SPAMMERS or maybe even stalkers.

How to BCC:

Outlook Express: To turn on the BCC field:
Create a New message and choose View, All Headers.

MS-Outlook: To turn on the BCC field
Create a New message and choose View, BCC.

Netscape Messenger: To send via BCC, type the first address, click the To: button on the left of the name and choose BCC from the drop-down list. After pressing ENTER, each subsequent address you type will be Blind Carbon Copied.

AOL does not have a dedicated BCC field. To send mail via BCC, place addresses and screen names in the CC field surrounded by parentheses.
For example: (maryc@msn.com, JohnSmith, unedibble@spam.com)