Email Etiquette : Carbon Copies

A carbon copy is a relic from the days of typewriters.

·	Making a Carbon Copy on a Typewriter
·	CC: Carbon Copy
·	BCC: Blind Carbon Copy
·	Benefits of BCC

Making a Carbon Copy on a Typewriter

Here is an old typing drill explaining how they were made:

Usually everything you type in an office requires a copy. This is either a photocopy or a carbon copy. If it is a carbon, the paper for the copy is generally a tissue, which takes less room in the files.

Insert the carbon paper between the letterhead and the tissue. The carbon side should go next to the tissue; the smooth side with the printing side on it next to the original.

When putting the letterhead and carbon into the typewriter, the carbon is facing you. When you roll the carbon through the typewriter, it gets andgry and turns its back on you.

Sometimes you may use carbon paper sets with the carbon attached to the tissue. When inserting these into the typewriter, make certain the carbon is between the original and the tissue. These pieces of carbon are thrown away after each use.

To make a correction on a carbon copy, erase the incorrect letter or use a correct-type on the original first, then erase the incorrect letter on the carbon copy. Now you are ready to type the correct letter on the original.

Note that a pencil eraser is often the neatest kind to use on the carbon copy.

Owen, B. (1976). Typing for Beginners. New York: The Putnam Publishing Group.

CC: Carbon Copy

So if you've never see a true "carbon copy" in your life here is the typewriter and computer comparison.

·Typewriter - The names of the people getting carbon copies are listed on the letter. cc: Ann Jones

·Email - The cc: function sends a copy of the email to everyone listed in the cc: field, as well as, to everyone listed in the To: field. Everyone will see the email addresses of all the other recipients of the email.

BCC: Blind Carbon Copy

·Typewriter - Occasionally you will want to send a carbon of a letter to someone but will not want that information to show on the original. Take the original letter out of the typewriter and make a notation on the carbons only. bcc: Jane Smith

·Email - The bcc: function hides the addresses of the recipients from everyone listed in the To: and cc: lists. This is the perfect way to send emails to multiple people on a mailing list, since the blind copied person will see only their own name and address in the header and their email address will be hidden from other recipients.

Benefits of BCC

·Privacy and Security - Visit http://the-watersedge.net/NSUtility/bcc.html for a story illustrating why you should use BCC.

·Easier to read - Nothing wastes time and patience as much as having to scroll through pages of addresses to get to the actual email message.

·Keeping Net Sisters Egroups rules - See Rule 6.

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