E-mail is everywhere. Omnipresent and ubiquitous, it can even be redundant! It all began innocently enough, but the innocuous novelty that entered our lives only a few years ago has mushroomed into an imposing communication vehicle in overdrive. We can now exchange ideas (or the lack thereof) better, faster, and cheaper; but these benefits are often accompanied by woeful tradeoffs: information pollution, bloated inboxes, 'spam,' and a thinly veiled parade of office treachery and politics.
The ugly side of e-mail is laced with sinister trickery, internal power-plays, audit trails, time-traps, flat out stupidity, and plenty of ego. Every unsuspecting recruit in today's diverse workforce should become familiar with the battlefield of e-mail. Lest we stay three steps ahead of this innovation, e-mail threatens to enslave us.
But fear not! You are reading the essential blog to a thickening morass of e-mail practices and personalities. It's part translator, part 'how-not-to' manual, and part early warning system. Lest you capitulate to the sordid lows of cynicism, we want to assure you that there is indeed hope to apply this medium for good and noble aims.
E-mail can help you lead, toot your own horn, nurture and grow your “viral” relationships (we’ll let you figure that one out), and send electronic payments to your favorite charity.
Book (or Blog, however you want to call this) Organization
To keep you ahead of the game – to help you watch your back and launch your own e-mail missives with precision -- we’ve divided Email by Machiavelli in two critical parts: practices and personalities.
E-Mail Practices: What are the specific tactics and strategies people use to get ahead using e-mail. Are they all bad? Which ones can you spot a mile away? What practices should I covet and which ones should I avoid like AOL spam!
E-Mail Personalities: How do you spot an e-mail personality? What are the unique characteristics of folks who exploit e-mail to their benefit? Look in the mirror – do you possess many of these characteristics? Here we’ll help you sift the evil to the innocuous to the just plain dumb.
Welcome to E-Mail by Machiavelli. Sure you’re ready?
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