Business in the 21st century

Lesson 14

Writing and Responding to an Informal e-Mail

1. DIALOGUE Ω disk 2-16

Listen to the e-mail messages and note the numbered expressions.

(an e-mail message to a colleague)

From: Mary K. Ziegler <mkz@downhome.net>

To: Makiko Ito <makiko@infonippon.com>

Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2004 9:38 am

Subject: Office party

Hi, Makiko,

Just a quick note¹²⁴ to let you know that the date of the office party has been changed to Saturday, instead of Friday. The time is the same, 7:00 pm. I hope you can make it. I know this is short notice,¹²⁵ but the restaurant we wanted to go to was completely booked¹²⁶ for Friday.

<BTW>¹²⁷ have you heard whether we will be getting the new computer system before summer? I can't wait to try it out. :-)¹²⁸

<IMHO>¹²⁹ I think we need to get the new system in as quickly as possible. The more time that goes by, the more difficult it will be to get it up and running.¹³⁰ What do you think?

Later,¹³¹ MKZ

From: Makiko Ito <makiko@infonippon.com>

To: Mary K. Ziegler <mkz@downhome.net>

Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2004 11:02 am

Subject: RE: Office party

Mary,

Thanks for the heads-up¹³² on the office party. I hadn't heard that. Saturday works for me, so count me in.¹³³ I hope you're sitting down¹³⁴…I actually heard that the new computer system isn't going to be installed until early next year, so it won't be ready to go until February or so. :-( ¹³⁵ Didn't you get the FAQs¹³⁶ memo yesterday from the head office? I guess they are tired of having everyone ask the same questions. I can forward¹³⁷ it to you if you like.

I'd better get back to work. I want to leave early today. <G>¹³⁸ One other thing, beware of a virus¹³⁹ going around that says something about a "free gift" in the subject line.¹⁴⁰ Don't open it; just delete¹⁴¹ it. It infects your entire e-mail system. Also, I've been having trouble with spam.¹⁴² I may have to change my e-mail address. I'll let you know if I do.

Take care,¹⁴³ Makiko

¹³⁴ just a quick note…= just a short message…

¹²⁵ short notice = not much advance warning. [e.g. A: You want it by tomorrow! It’s not ready yet. B: Yeah, sorry for the short notice.]

¹²⁶ booked = reserved [e.g. have you booked your trip to the conference yet?] in my humble opinion

¹²⁷ <btw> = by the way

¹²⁸ :-) = a smiley face when viewed sideways, meaning “happy.” :-d means “laughing”; :-o means “surprised”; ;-) means “winking”.

¹²⁹ <IMHO> = in my humble opinion

¹³⁰ up and running = operational

¹³¹ later = short for “see you later”

¹³² thanks for the heads-up = thanks for telling me

¹³³ count me in = Literally, “count me in the number of people going”; “yes, I can go.”

¹³⁴ I hope you're sitting down... = this is said when someone is about to give the other person some bad news.

¹³⁵ :-( = a reversed smiley face meaning “unhappy” when viewed sideways.

¹³⁶ faqs = frequently asked questions

¹³⁷ forward = to send the original message electronically to another person.

¹³⁸ <G> = grinning

¹³⁹ virus = an internet virus infects a computer system and wreaks havoc by either deleting stored data on the hard-drive, or sending out e-mails to everyone on the address list in the computer, hence infecting all of those computers.

¹⁴⁰ subject line = this is located on the e-mail’s header where the sender writes the topic of the e-mail.

¹⁴¹ delete = to take out permanently from the computer.

¹⁴² spam (also spamming) = mass electronic mailings by advertisers and groups who send messages to everyone they can without permission.

¹⁴³ Take care = goodbye.

2. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions with short answers from the dialogue.

1. What does <BTW> mean?

2. What does <IMHO> mean?

3. What do the letters "FAQs" stand for?

4. What does <G> mean?

5. Why does Makiko need to change her e-mail address?

3. MATCHING

Match the best combination of sentences from Column A and B.

COLUMN A	COLUMN B
• Happy. • Sad. • Surprised.	:-o
;-)	• Winking. • Grinning. • Laughing.
• Angry. • Happy. • Laughing.	:-d
- I hope you are sitting down…	• Why? Do you have bad news? • Actually, I’m standing up now. • I was sitting down earlier.

4. MINI-DIALOGUES Ω disk 2-17

Listen and fill in the blanks and then practice saying the message aloud with a partner.

Bert, Hey, ( ) it going? Just a short e-mail to touch base with you ( ) the meeting we have scheduled for next ( ). I will be bringing the charts and ( ) packets to show ( ). I was wondering if you could ( ) these ( ) over before the ( ) to make sure everything is in order. Let me know if this is ( ). Take ( ). Sally

What's up? I'm ( ) ready to leave ( ). :-) Are you interested in meeting for ( ) tonight? I thought we could ( ) about the presentation we have to make next ( ). Let me ( ) if you can make it. <BTW> have you ( ) from Lindsey lately? I need to e-mail her about our ( ). She had said she wanted to come. What do you think? ( ) you later, Joe

( ), thanks for the ( ) on the new website. I took a look at it today and it looks great. I have another ( ) that I can recommend. I can ( ) the address if you like. I'm not in a ( ) good mood. I was ( ) a bunch of spam and I ( ) up deleting all of my friend's recent letters. :-( I ( ) your day's going ( ) than mine. ;-) Take care, Lynne

5. PAIRWORK-PRACTICE

Fill in the blanks using the words from the box. Each word is only used once.

Recording A

touch open check taking busy around computer rest responded going Megan, How's it ( )? 1 just realized that I hadn't ( ) to your last e-mail. Sorry. I have been so ( ) with work lately that I barely have time to even ( ) my e-mail. Next week I'm ( ) a few days off to ( ). <G> <BTW>, there's a heads-up on a nasty ( ) virus that's going ( ). Don't ( ) any attachments unless you know exactly what they are. :-( Keep in ( ), Beth

Recording B

forward join attachment heard vacation reason hello changing quick Jackie, Just a ( ) note to say ( ) and to let you know that I will be going to Florida on ( ) this year. If you still have some vacation days left, do you want to ( ) me? :-) <BTW> I ( ) from Sandra that you are thinking about ( ) jobs soon. Any particular ( ) why? Just wondering. I hope you'll be able to go to Florida with me. Let me know and I can ( ) all of the details to you in an ( ). Take care, Stacy

6. READING. AMERICAN BUSINESS CULTURE

Netiquette Ω disk 2-18

The Internet has truly revolutionized the way people do business and how they communicate with one another. It has also spawned a new movement within the Internet community regarding proper protocol called “Network Etiquette” or for short, “Netiquette” – a list of acceptable manners by people in cyberspace.

Veteran computer users, those who have been computer-literate for a long time, are accustomed to the strict codes of behavior and courtesies that surround this new club-culture. The new users, known as “Newbies” in internet-lingo, need some guidance in learning the do’s and don’ts of traveling through cyberspace. “Surfing” the web can be great fun, if a few simple e-mailing rules are followed.

First keep your correspondence to the point and short. Many businesspeople receive hundreds of e-mails in a week and do not have time to read long, drawn out messages that ramble on without and real purpose. If you want your message read, keep it short and to the point! Try not to write an e-mail message using all capital letters because it LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING at the other person. It’s best to use mixed case (upper- and lower-case letters), just as you would if you were typing a letter to send by “snail mail” (mail sent through the post office).

Currently, it’s popular among cyber e-mailers to personalize messages to friends with a variety of “smileys” called “emoticons”. These little tricks of the trade can be used to express a wide range of emotions, all easily created using your keyboard. Be sure to look at them sideways: :-) happy; :-( sad; :-< angry; :-O surprised; :-D laughing; ;-) winking.

A cautionary note is needed here…beware that anything you send by electronic mail could conceivably be intercepted and read by a third party. Be especially careful when sending e-mail from your office computer – some companies reserve the right to monitor their employees’ e-mail because it is not the property of the employee, but of the company. A good rule of thumb is to never write anything in an e-mail that you wouldn’t write on a postcard sent by regular mail. Just like a postcard, anyone can potentially read its contents while it is en route to its destination.

Answer the following questions using information found in the essay.

1. What two words does the word "Netiquette" come from?

2. What's a "Newbie"?

3. What's "snail-mail"?

UNIT 5