Blind CC (Bcc): Master Its Use When E-Mailing

If you use Microsoft Outlook (or similar applications) for e-mailing, then you are familiar with the fields at the top of a new mail message, right? Of course, in the "To..." field, you enter the name of one or more persons you intend to receive your message. Use the field labeled "Cc..." (for Carbon Copy - remember how they did it back in 1978 BC, "before computers"?) for anyone who needs to view your e-mail but is not the addressee.

But there's an additional field that you should know about, labeled "Bcc...," which stands for "Blind carbon copy," or the updated version, "Blind courtesy copy." This field is for the names of anyone that needs a copy of your e-mail without the other people (in the "To..." and "Cc..." fields) knowing about it. That's why it's called "Blind."

"But wait a minute," you might be saying. "I don't have a "Bcc" field just after the "Cc" field in my version of Outlook." When you launch a new mail message, you might have "To...," "Cc...," and "Subject..."--nothing more. That's because "Bcc" is on a toggle; you can turn it on and off from your "View" menu. If your "Bcc..." is not showing, you can turn it on when you are in a mail message by going to the "View Menu" and selecting "Bcc Field." A checkmark will appear and the field will become visible at the top of your mail message, just above "Subject...". (Similar applications should also give you the option to turn "Bcc" on if it is not continuously visible.)

You should know about and carefully use "Bcc" for a number of reasons. I'm going to cover some of the most important.

Use Bcc to protect privacy ? When an e-mail is sent to a whole group of people with all of their names in the "To..." or "CC..." fields, each one of them has access to the e-mail address of all the others. Normally this would not be a problem internally, but if you are sending an e-mail to employees as well as some outside of your company, use the Bcc field to hide all of those internal addresses. You will be preventing your company's people from getting spam and other unwanted e-mails.

Use Bcc to keep upper management informed ? Sometimes you are sending an e-mail message at a manager's request, and you want to let the manager know that you complied. It may not be helpful, however, to make the manager's name visible in "Cc," because this may add stress or cause unnecessary concern for the addressee. If you consider that to be the circumstances, use Bcc for the manager's copy. But this is always a judgment call, because sometimes it is important for addressees to know the manager is looking over their shoulder, especially if you have a tight deadline.

Use Bcc to make your message more personal ? Do you feel differently about a message addressed solely to you versus one sent to all of your company's employees? The same principle works in the opposite direction, as well. If you place everyone's name in the Bcc field, then each will have the impression that you wrote your e-mail just for them. Be careful in your wording, however, because this tactic will backfire if your letter contains second-person plurals, such as "All of you may be wondering...".

Use Bcc to keep an archive of your correspondence ? This nifty trick depends of having or obtaining a separate e-mail address from your conventional business address. Place that address in the Bcc field, e.g., "yourname@freemail.com," and Outlook will send a copy of your e-mail to that address. This can be helpful if you are wanting a quick way to keep track of all of the e-mail you send out regarding a particular project or issue.

Caution: When Bcc can backfire ? There are times, however, when you should think twice before entering a person's name in Bcc. If your addressee hits "Reply to all," the reply will not go back to the BCC addressee(s). But still, that reply might not be worded as carefully as it would be if the sender knew everyone listed in Bcc. To put it bluntly, this is how people get insulted and feelings get hurt. If you are dealing with an issue that is the least bit touchy or even volatile, you would do well to steer clear of Bcc.

* * *

Copyright ?2005 Steve Singleton, All rights reserved.

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has been a book editor, newspaper reporter, news editor, and public relations consultant. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his deeperstudy.org for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve's free "DeeperStudy Newsletter."

Elk Grove (east OF 53) Chicago limousine service .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.
Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.
Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.
Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.
Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.
There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.
Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.
Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.
Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.
With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.
The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.

Microsoft CRM Customization Secrets ? Second Edition

This article is for advanced Microsoft CRM SDK C# developers.... Read More

ERP Remote Support: Microsoft Great Plains Analysis ? Pluses & Minuses

Former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise and currently Microsoft Business Solutions... Read More

Crystal Reports For Microsoft RMS ? Overview For Developer/Report Designer

If you are software developer or database administrator - we... Read More

What Stands Behind The Software Description?

With thousands of web pages added to the Net every... Read More

Linux ? Keyboard Or Mouse

Just stress testing one of the latest Linux distributions. Been... Read More

The Secret of the Layer Styles Dialogue

When you double-click a layer in the Layer Palette, you... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains IV: Inventory Management

Great Plains Inventory Management (IV) module gives your business a... Read More

Fast Car Knoppix

Small can be beautiful! Working with Knoppix for the past... Read More

20 Extra Hours Per Week: What Would You Do?

While I was in college, if you would have asked... Read More

Microsoft Navision Customization and Reporting ? Tips For Programmer/IT Specialist

C/SIDE (Client/Server Integrated Development Environment) - The core of... Read More

OLAP, An Alternative Technology Over Spreadsheets

Are Spreadsheets Robbing your Enterprise of Competitive Advantage?'90% of "average"... Read More

Document Templates Give You The Perfect Framework For Your Documents

When it comes to running an office, the SOHO entrepreneur... Read More

Crystal Reports for Microsoft Great Plains ? Overview for Developer

Microsoft Great Plains is main accounting / ERP application... Read More

Behave, Word, Behave!

If you copy something from a Web site or elsewhere...... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains: Getting New Users Licenses ? Annual Service Plan FAQ

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Solomon, Navision, Axapta, Microsoft CRM... Read More

Software Tools To Help Your Business Sell More

Sales are all about leverage, because there is only so... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains: Customization Upgrade & Recovery ? Visual Studio VB 6.0

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics, eEnterprise has... Read More

Microsoft Moves to Small Business Accounting/Retail Market ? Stakes and Thoughts

In this small article we will be looking at the... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains implementation: Restaurants Supply Chain Management Example

Microsoft Great Plains serves majority of US based horizontal and... Read More

RFID: Strengthen the Position for SAP; United States

SAP Inc., a global leader in client/server enterprise application software... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Payroll Module Customization Scenarios

It is now common thing when large corporation selects mid-market... Read More

Causes of ERP Failures

ERP is the acronym of Enterprise Resource Planning. Multi-module ERP... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains eCommerce: overview for developer

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was designed back in the... Read More

The Dirt on Screensavers

Remember back in the days where screensavers were the coolest... Read More

S is for Spying, Surveillance -- and for Software as Well

Words we choose to describe things and phenomena often show... Read More

limousine airport Ackworth ..