Integrate the procedures below with those in the other course netiquette guidance
plus my general hints elsewhere
on this site, and we should get off to a good start.
1. Subject line for ALL EMAIL in this course begins with the course identifier; for example, <tmgt411> or <mgmt391> without the <> .
2. My messages of continuing importance to the group will include a two digit sequential suffix <e.g., tmgt411-01 or mgmt391-01> so each of you will know if you are missing a message in the sequence. Copies of tasking messages will be posted to WebTycho.
Messages to individual students will not normally be numbered sequentially.
3. When you send a message that you cannot afford to have ignored, use the return receipt function on your emailer if you have one. Check your settings or preferences file and turn on this feature if possible.
Not all programs have this capability, and both sender and receiver -- and their servers -- must support this function for it to work properly.
If you find it does not work, request the recipient to acknowledge receipt.
Follow-up on any important messages that are not acknowledged.
4. As a matter of policy and courtesy as well as to avoid later misunderstandings, please acknowledge email messages you receive in this course.
If you have a return receipt function activated, messages which requested such a receipt will be pre-formatted for you to dispatch or will be sent automatically.
You can manually acknowledge receipt simply by replying to the message BUT replace all but the first few lines of the message with the word <received> or <acknowledged> or <got it>. If the message transmitted an attachment as well, send back the one line attachment details so the sender knows that the attachment as well as the covering email made it.
Save capacity on the net while achieving the objective of letting each other know we are still in touch and messages are getting through. DO NOT make a habit of simply clicking the <Reply to> button and re-sending the original message back to the sender. Snip out any major sections that are not needed to communicate your message and intent.
5. Maintain a full service hookup to the Internet for the duration of any DE course.
6. Some students may have persistent problems with WebTycho or sending/receiving email. Please try a second and third time to gain access, checking in between that all your settings are correct to the best of your knowledge. Space out your attempts to allow any congestion or malfunction at the UM server end or with your access or service provider to work itself out. Let me know whenever you have been repeatedly refused access to our virtual classroom after applying this procedure.
7. When replying to numbered messages, leave the sequence number the same - just add a dash, your first and last initial, dot, and a new two digit sequence number. (e.g., RE: tmgt411.013-pr.01 Sign Graphs)
8. Keep a electronic copy of all submissions and responses until at least one month after the end of the course (preferably until you are satisfied with your official grade).
9. Embedded graphics can make the email message grow to 800K or larger. Compress such messages using WinZip or Stuffit. Notify the recipient of the compression utility used. Use a binary or bin-hex transmission protocol
10. Graphics and diagrams in my courses should normally be sent in .gif or .jpg format format. Exceptions: Zipped files; also if we are practicing with a specific piece of software, then naturally use that software.
11. Another reminder:- keep your email message length under control, especially when you use the Reply function.
Note: Some of you may want to improve on these protocols. Please feel free to suggest changes that will add clarity, completeness or better detail to this procedure. If it sounds good, I will incorporate it into this protocol.
| Phil Richardson; prichard@faculty.ed.umuc.edu | Revised 13 June 2004 |