Accuracy Counts With E-mail Addresses

In anticipation of a trip to San Diego I wrote this e-mail to a girlfriend who lives in Los Angeles: “Darling, I’m going to be in SD for 3 days. Nothing would make me happier than if you could join me. xo, Abby”

Innocent enough, except I clicked on the wrong e-mail address in my address book and received this e-mail from one of my students (well into his 80’s): “Dear Abby, Nothing warms the heart of a man my age like your invitation …”

It took me some time to realize what had happened. GOOD HEAVENS! I had addressed my invitation to the wrong person! An e-mail address is as specific as a phone number. If you are off by one digit, it’ll be routed to the wrong person. Therefore, it is essential that you double-check what you’ve typed before you send the e-mail on its way.

Here are some helpful hints for e-mail addresses:

• There will never be a space in an e-mail address. A space would break up the transmission.
• E-mail addresses are not case sensitive. However, if someone has specifically chosen to have some of the letters in their e-mail address in upper case, you may as well typed it accordingly.
• All e-mail addresses will end with @ and the name of the company used by that person for e-mail. For example: @aol.com, @hotmail.com, @rr.nyc, etc.
• Double check the e-mail address in the To: box before sending your missive. Whether typing the address or choosing it from your address book, be sure that you’re sending your e-mail to the intended recipient.
• Put a dollop of nail polish on your period key. The period key “.” and the comma “,” are so close together on the keyboard a dollop of nail polish will distinguish one from the other.

I’ve heard countless tales of e-mail being routed improperly and the embarrassment that ensued. ALWAYS check the address before you click on Send. Just in case you are wondering, I never did make it to San Diego, but I did send an e-mail to correct the misunderstanding. Trust me, you do not want this to happen to you!