Email etiquette

There are differences between ...

• mail (letter) vs email
• correspondence across organization vs company's internal replying

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Here this post collects good articles & references about practical emailing.

1. Chris Anderson; "Help Create an Email Charter!"; tedchris.posterous.com (09-Jun-2011).
2. "10 Rules to Reverse the Email Spiral"; http://www.emailcharter.org/
3. Amy-Mae Elliott; "Email Etiquette: 8 Tips for a More Civilized Inbox"; Mashable (20-Sep-2012).

 

How to disable UAC in Windows Vista

Basic method: Control Panel

1. Turn it off in User accounts.
• Now, Microsoft highly recommends that you do not do this.  After you ignore them and do it anyway, a scary little red X shield icon plants itself in your Taskbar, visually screaming at you about the security risk.
2. In Security Center, choose "Change the way Security Center alerts me" and then "Don't notify me and don't display the icon (not recommended)"

See: Gina Trapani, "Windows Vista Tip: Disable annoying “Need your permission to continue-” prompts", LifeHacker.com (25-Jan-2007).

Technical method: policy & registry

Utility-program method: Tweak-UAC (http://www.tweak-uac.com/home/)

Also see:

• "User Account Control Step-by-Step Guide", Microsoft Technet (20- Apr-2011).
• Tim Sneath, "Windows Vista Secret #4: Disabling UAC", MSDN (20 Sep 2006).

How to add multiple contacts to a group in Google Contacts

Current generally-known practice:

1. Add contact into my/all contacts, if it has never been in yet -- one by one.
2. Select contact(s) from my/all contacts or existing groups, and add to desired group.

Solution: use "Import" function

1. Create CSV file (see: "Creating or editing CSV files").  Just single-column list with header (first line) "Email address" also works. 
2. From GMail or Google-apps, go to Contacts.
3. Click function (at right-end of action bar).
4. Input the CSV file.
5. Enable "Also add these imported contacts to:" and choose (or create new) desired group.
6. Done.  The process will also merged contacts with ones already in Google address book properly.

Lotus-Notes mail rule for auto-forwarded mail from GMail

When an email X is sent from A to B who uses GMail, and B sets filter to auto-forward to C; envelope-address of X will still show A as sender.  However, C cannot define mail rule that sender is A!

Reason
As X is coming from Internet (GMail), there will be field "SMTPOriginator".  And in this case the fields 'SMTPOriginator' = B and 'From' = A; and 'Sender' in mail rule will check field 'SMTPOriginator' instead: i.e., sender becomes B not A.

Additional styling in Google Chat & Buzz

Enclose text with star, underline, and dash for bold, italic, strikethrough respectively. But it can be incomplete when outer-enclosed with parentheses (e.g., text ... "quote *something* may not always _work_")

Does not work in GReader's comment.

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Also see:

• http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=4ae8955eed61736c&hl=en
• http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=20fc1deec529b4ff&hl=en

iGadget recommendation

Also: consider to enable Chat in iGoogle settings.

Google fundamentals

• Gmail: small preview of your inbox.
• Google Calendar: mini calendar and event list.
• Google Docs: list most-recently active documents
• To-do list -- either (or both) of:
• Simple/independent To-Do List.
• Google Tasks: if you've already utilised this service through Google mail and/or calendar.
• Sticky Note

Google more

• News -- either or both of:
• Google Reader: in case you've used this service.
• Google News: in case you don't experience much of RSS/ATOM yet.
• Compound gadget: useful when you want to collect some rare-used gadgets into one gadget box, giving you cleaner page.
• Google Translate: it may not give us perfect result, but a very-handy interim.

Social networking -- depending on what services are we using:

• Twitter: use AnyScreen
  
• Facebook
• FriendFeed
• Blogger: post message to your Blogger sites right from your homepage.

Miscellaneous

• Google Map Search: find places with Google Maps without leaving your homepage.
  

GCal practical guide

These are some suggestions for GCal usage considerably unique from other email systems.
This post is still under ongoing revision, any suggestion/feedback please leave as comment -- thank you :)

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Current limitations

Feature	Workaround
Ability to specify different time zone than local when schedule an event.	Do not complete an event at first time (e.g., add guests) but adjust it again using [1] additional time-zone in week view, or [2] labs feature "world clock".

How to add a shared calendar

Method	What sender does	What recipient does
HTML	Send link location obtained from [HTML] label.	Open the HTML link, the calendar is displayed as a read-only view. Click the button [+ Google Calendar] located at bottom-right corner.
ICAL	Send link location obtained from [ICAL] label (the link ends with ".ics").	At "Other calendars" widget, select [Add |Add by URL] command. Input the given ICAL link.
Calendar ID	Send calendar ID obtained from "Calendar Address" section.	Input the ID into "Add a coworker's calendar" field of "Other calendars" widget.

Remarks

1. [ICAL][HTML] labels and calendar ID are available at "Calendar Address" section in "Calendar Details" tab of "Calendar settings" of each particular calendar (pull-down menu after each calendar name, not "Settings" menu at the top panel of GCal's window.
2. "Other calendars" widget is next under "My calendar" list on the left pane of GCal window.
3. Each calendar can be individually renamed: i.e., a calendar can have different names among users.

How to respond meeting invitation

Decline meeting with some comment:  Do either of:-

• Reply "No" with note.
• Use [Email guests] to notify participants first before respond "No".
• Reply the email copy of the meeting invitation (in GMail). 

GMail practical guide

These are some suggestions for GMail usage considerably unique from other email systems.

Also, purple colour denotes featrues that we would avoid when send out to people in other email systems!

 This blog is still under ongoing revision, any suggestion/feedback please leave as comment -- thank you :)

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To correspond mail

1. Determine whether we'd rather revise the subject, or add our reply into conversation thread of the original subject.
2. Decide history's header either reply or forward form:
1. Reply:  There's only "On {date/time}, {sender} wrote:" with history quoted (with vertical line on left margin), but GMail preloads To/CC to the new mail.
2. Forward:  Mail header is retained so that new recipients are clear that previously what was subject (if modified, or we can delete it off if subject is unchanged) and who were addressed.
3. Consider to remove unnecessary quoted history
1. Unless we forward to new recipients, whole history is already in conversation thread.
• Alternatively, forward necessary history to new recipients first.  Then we can now send another mail as reply to both old & new recipients with specific context.
2. With recipients already existing in conversation thread, partial history quoting may be still useful as short reference: i.e., what context we are replying about.
• [writer's opinion: So, that's why default form of reply has whole history preloaded but as in-line quoted text (blank beginning / quoted history / ending signature), in order to let us remove unnecessary portions off from reply.] 

To utilise conversation thread

• Prerequisite for the first sender: define subject wisely.  Avoid specifying date or release such as "tomorrow", "this Friday", "week of Feb.15'10", "version 1.23.4" -- unless we really mean that specific event.
• Keep reviewing To/CC lists.
• A thread can have various people groups addressed.  They can see whole thread inequally. 
• Use contact group and reduce addressing unnecessary individuals, to utilise mute function.
• Maintain thread by not changing subject. 
• Instead of adding word such as "update", "revise", "additional info" to original subject; rather put it at first line of new message.  It will be displayed in snippet next to subject in mail-list view.
• Reply/forward with only necessary portion quoted history: such as to quote part in responding, or when include new recipients.
• Look for utilising [Reply by chat] feature.  Notice that it's not only for chatting back to sender, but can be sender chats to recipient (such as to follow up; in case there's only single one in To list) too.
• Even when compose new mail, reconsider whether it can be a reply or supplement of any existing thread.
• It is possible that we copy mail of a thread (reply/forward, select all, copy) and put into (paste) new mail of another thread.  By this way we can leave some/redundant threads of same topic and keep better one ongoing.

However, also consider to split to new thread (edit subject to define new one) when:-

• Conversation becomes so deviated from origin.
• Original subject is poorly specified or is not designed to be series.
• Mixing various people groups becomes so sensitive: e.g., a series of quality reports distributed among various suppliers/customers.

Is beginning "Dear ...," line practical?

• When responding to a conversation thread, it may be unnecessary to be such formal and better utilise snippet's text.
• However, GMail display mail header poorly (both its one-line and show-details formats).  So, at first time introducing the topic, sender should consider to add Dear/CC scope in mail body (so recipient needn't click [show details] to determine his/her involvement).

Use shortcuts & function keys
Somewhere I've ever learned that GMail is not designed for beauty but efficiency.  Learning keyboard shortcuts (to enable in settings) and function keys, it solves several requirements than requesting additional buttons or UI enhancement (richer UI features, slower performance).

Remember, we have ten fingers with full keyboard, not only mouse.

Want to ...	Do this ...	Remark
Go to top/bottom of long page (such as long expand-all conversation)	Ctrl-Home/End	Someones request that command zone (above conversation) stays available while scrolling.
Scroll up/down quicker	PgUp/PgDn	Instead of rolling mouse-wheel.
Go to next/previous message in thread	n (next), p (previous)	Don't waste eyes scanning top(beginning) of each message.
Go to next *inbox*	` (back-quote)	In case we enable "Multiple inboxes" feature. ** No excuse for ones who keep using old-poor implementation of Thai-keyboard switching }:)
Go to certain GMail folder/view	g ...	Check avialable choices from Help (?).
Go to view of a label	g l ...
Go to Search field	/
Go to Chat search-field	q
Go to somewhere but still in editing window/field	Esc	In editing area, pressing shortcut key just only inputs character into edited text.

Nonetheless (and vice versa), apart from keyboard shortcuts, there are several command shortcuts too.

Want to ...	Do this ...
Find recent conversations of a person	Move mouse over the name in mail header.  When person profile box pops up, choose: [Video & more |Recent conversations] Also same method with name in chat list.
Move to label	Drag instead of open/select(x), [move to] ...; given that the label is not hidden.
Go to a label of currently-opened mail/conversation	Click at the label listed next to subject line at the top of page.

Et-cetera

• As long as currently there's no option to remove (detach) attachment yet, do not keep its downloaded copy.  Simply use and delete it off (from local hard-disc).  Note that, anyway, it is retained in Recycle Bin until we empty it.

Tweeting shorthands

As Twitter keeps message posting limited to 140-character long, sometimes it would be better using certain symbols in character set instead of multiple/repeated characters to save message length.

Try this	To/For
… — ‼	Instead of repeating those characters.
« »	Double less/greater signs, or denote arrows: <- ->
‖	"RT @... original message. ‖ your additional comment"  (idea from '// comment' in C++)
≠ ≤ ≥ ±	<>, <=, >=, +/-
⅛ ¼ ⅜ ½ ⅝ ¾ ⅞	Instead of x/y
© ® ™	Instead of (C), (R), TM
α β	Instead of 'alpha', 'beta'

Also these symbols are nice for use:

• ≈ ≡ × ÷
• ∞ ∫ ∑ √ ∂ ∆
• ¬(not) °(degree) ²(square) ³(cube)
  

Twitter visibility

1. When we follow an account, we see followee's own updates not others that s/he follows, unless we already follow ones of them mutually.
2. People will only see replies in their home time line if they are following both the sender and recipient of the update. People with protected accounts cannot send replies to people who aren't following them, and mentions won't be seen by non-followers either. [from: "What are @replies and mentions?"]

Lists
As simply stated in Lists' privacy setting:

• Public — Anyone can subscribe to this list.
• Private — Only you can access this list.

We see lists when they are set public, and cannot see/access private lists (even we specify exact URL).  This rule is not matter the lists' owner is normal(public) or protected account.

What connection can we make with other people? Given that they are: »	Normal/public account	Protected account
Follow them	Yes	To request
Keep them in list	Yes	Available when we've already followed
Follow (subscribe) their lists	Public lists only	Public lists only (needn't request)
See their private lists	No	No

Whom do we see inside a list? Given that they (not list owner) are: »	Normal/public account	Protected account
List is public	Visible	Visible if we've also followed them
List is private	List is inaccessible	List is inaccessible

Also notice that we may put people (of normal/public account) into our list(s) without following them: i.e., they are not shown up in our main-stream time line.


Further reading

• Twitter blog: "Soon to Launch: Lists" (Sep.30'09). "There's a List for That" (Oct.30'09).
• Josh Catone "HOW TO: Use Twitter Lists"; Mashable (Nov.02'09)
• Mashable: "Twitter Lists, Resources & How-Tos"

Nokia-phone shortcuts

	Power p: Select profiles h: Power on/off
Left-selection h: Message reader	Navi-center	Right-selection h:Voice commands
Call	Navi-scroll	End p/h: Alternative profiles/power switch
Menu h: List/choose running applications wb: View bookmarks	Edit(pencil)	Clear
1	2	3
4	5	6
7	8 wb: Show/hide page overview	9 wb: Type in web address
* Show/select special character. Calendar: Change/rotate views.	0 h: Web browser 3p: Insert new-line.	# Change text language/prediction mode Alternative Edit key. Calendar: Go to today.

p = press and release, optional number 2 or 3 means double and tripple pressing.
h = press and hold
wb = web browser

Yammer links

i.e., those appended to "https://www.yammer.com/..."

Link to	Do this	i.e., (syntax)
Single message	Check from its time-stamp	.../messages/{message#}
Message thread	Replace "messages" of message link with "threads".	.../threads/{message#}
Thread with initial-message highlighted		.../threads/{message#}?message_id={message#}
Thread with reply-message highlighted	Click the reply's time-stamp to get its own page, then check the link from "in reply to" clause.	.../threads/{message#}?message_id={reply-message#}&replied_to_id={message#}

Also:

• Popular tags = https://www.yammer.com/tags/popular

Gmail: Find archive-only messages

i.e., archived messages/conversations with no any other label assigned.

Terra Nomad: Gmail tip for finding archived items with no label

To find them, search this: "-label:inbox -label:blog -label:comp ..."
You have to add a -label:tag for each tag, so it can take a while to write. But bookmark it and you never have to write it again!

To update here when more is found...

A way to open 2 Google accounts simultaneously

In case that we have one personal account and another one company account -- for example.

We can use multiple web browsers to separate accounts. But if we want to use only one such as Firefox. This method can be a solution:

Personal-account set

• iGoogle: by this time it's not available to company account yet.
• Gmail Notifier

Company-account set

• Google Talk

Gmail Notifier and Google Talk call Gmail at different places despite of same "www.google.com/...", no matter company has set alias to another URL or not. And then from Gmail, each session links to within its own place for other services (Calendar, Docs, Sites).

How to locate link to each post in FriendFeed

FriendFeed does not provide link of each post right from typical page. Comparing with Blogger's link field: it links to embedded URL, when supplied, not the post itself.

To find the post's URL itself:

1. At the post's actionable command line, select "Share". Its dialog pops up.
2. Under "Share elsewhere" section, look at field: URL.

This is useful when we want to review comments/discussion, for example.

To paste table into Google page/document

i.e., G.Docs's document, G.Sites page

• Directly pasting from G.Docs spreadsheet gets plain-text form.
• Directly pasting from Excel does get HTML-table object, but colouring and border lining are still lost.

A known solution: paste (as rich-text) to MS-Word, and copy from MS-Word.

(To collect more/better solutions when found.)

Syncrhonise Firefox's Morning-Coffee configuration

From http://www.shaneliesegang.com/projects/coffee.php

This is actually relatively easy to do, but you need to track down your Firefox profile folder first. If you are using Windows, this is typically C:\Documents and Settings\[YOUR USER NAME]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[GOBBLEDYGOOD].default. On the Mac, it's /Users/[YOUR USER NAME]/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/[GOBBLEDYGOOK].default/. If you're using Linux, check around for a directory called .mozilla in your home directory.
Once you have this folder, look for a folder inside it called "morningCoffee." That's where all your sites are stored. .....

So, using sync tool such as SyncToy or Syncplicity would work perfectly :)

How to remove left-side tab from iGoogle page

To get more page space.
Instead of "https://www.google.com/ig", use "http://www.google.com/ig?gl=all". (Source: GoogleGroups web-search help)

However, there is side effect(s). At least I see that gadgets' title bar changes buttons from menu-maximize to menu-minimize-close list.