Messaging Help

Email message guidelines Known issues
Mass email tips & adviceMessage II User Guide

Email message guidelines

Remember to include address information:

TO:Descriptive name of recipients
FROM:Name (or names) and valid email account
SUBJECT:Subject of message (be descriptive)
REPLY TO (optional):(Optional) Valid email address – can be different than FROM address

Mass email tips & advice

When sending communications on behalf of the University, you are representing one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and should be thoughtful of this when doing so. Mass email communications should be presented in a well written, clear, and professional manner. There are lots of things to consider when writing to a broad audience. Here are a few tips to think about when preparing a mass email:

  • First, make certain you have approval from the appropriate authorized personnel.
  • Read and abide by the Information Technology Appropriate Use Policy. In addition, please also read and abide by the respective email regulation policies and guidelines.
  • Write complete thoughts. Don’t leave the reader guessing what it is you’re trying to say.
  • Be aware of the tone of your message. Email is impersonal and can be misinterpreted as rude or discourteous if you’re not careful.
  • After you have written your communication, proof read and edit the material. Common things to check for are spelling errors, capitalization, punctuation, grammar and number usage.
  • Since electronic messages are read on a screen, they should be kept as brief as possible.
  • Your subject line should be clear. Try not to use subjects that are too vague. Consider using “Agenda for Faculty Meeting of 25 May 2007” vs. “Agenda.”
  • Download the ITS Messaging Service & Effective Communications PowerPoint slides

Known Issues

The following are known issues with the Message II application and are being addressed by the technical team, where possible.

  1. Medical School WebMail does not recognize linked text
    There are no workarounds for this issue – if you are sending email to clients at the Medical school who may be using webmail, include the full address of links (e.g. http://www.google.com/).
  2. Email subjects picked up in spam/virus filters
    Some email subjects have been identified as "spamming" by our spam filtering services. Avoid using all capital letters and common phrases in your subject lines. If you experience difficulty receiving a message that you know you've sent, please try changing the subject text. If you continue to have trouble, please call Campus Communications at 203-432-2079.

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