Etiquette in the Information Age – Volume 1
Your new computer came with the latest and greatest word processor software (version 23). It seems like a good idea to fancy up your emails and communications by using the best software you can, right? BUT— what if everyone else doesn’t share your love of proprietary software or wish to support the short life-cycle and high costs of the mighty mega-software companies? Plain Text is the answer. Sometimes (like if you are sending to people in your own company, and you know everyone has the same computing capabilities you do) it is fine to send out special files, but if you are trying to communicate to an audience that isn’t under the control of a single governing body (like a single IT department) it is a good idea to use the format is common to everything: Plain Text. Plain text shows up correctly on every screen, every operating system, every device. It is the common denominator of electronic media. Plain text does not use bold, underline, italics, color backgrounds, font sizes, inline graphics, music, animation, or URL links; it is just pure, plain, simple TEXT.
It is easy to configure your email client to send plain text. If you need to use formatted text, then HTML is a good choice, and most email clients can be configured to send in the HTML format. Most recipients using computers can read the HTML-formatted messages without trouble, but be aware they can get mangled up when forwarded or sent through message groups. Some email systems consider embedded links to be spam messages, so there is a possibility your email will never be delivered. These are more reasons why plain text emails are preferable.
If you do need to send a special document of any format, consider converting it to a PDF before attaching it. The PDF format is now an open standard and helps ensure the recipient will be able to view the document correctly. Document formats that require special software to open should be avoided if at all possible.
Be aware that many people read email on mobile devices now, and viewing formatted text (even HTML) or handling attachments of any type can be a problem. Viewing plain text is not a problem!
I hope it is clear why using plain text simplifies the task of communicating to a diverse group of people electronically. If you need more reasons, keep reading!
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, which comes with 500 grit and 800 grit sandpaper, a 3000 grit wet sanding pad, rubbing compound, a foam polishing pad, and an attachment for your drill. It takes a little patience to go through the steps of sanding and then finally polishing it all out, but the results are great. (In the picture below, the top units are reconditioned and the bottom units are not done yet)
