Rule #3- The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is the new BFF (Best Friend Forever) of the VIP (Very Important Person)

Dearest Online Correspondent:

If you haven’t figured it out already, I am a big fan of acronyms, especially when it comes to online correspondence. For example, up to very recently, I had always preferred to use the CC (Carbon Copy) and had never been particularly partial to the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).

Over the past few months though, online correspondence has been increasingly leaning towards giving the BCC a more prestigious role in the personal e-mail message. As a result, I’ve given into the temptation and recently converted to becoming a full-fledged BCCer when e-mailing people, who don’t already know each others e-mail addresses. The theory behind giving the BCC more “play” is that the VIP (Very Important Person), being one of the recipients of an e-mail message, does not have his e-mail address shared with the other recipients of the e-mail message because his e-mail address is hidden in the BCC.

After just berating the VIP in the prior paragraph, I can alternatively empathize with the VIP. Simply stated, the VIP doesn’t want his e-mail address shared because he is nervous that sharing his e-mail address with more people will result with him receiving more e-mail messages and consequently increase his vulnerability to Internet threats, such as viruses and spyware.

Based on this online security concern of the VIP, when sending an e-mail message to recipients , who do not yet know each others e-mail addresses, the “best practice” is to BCC all of the recipients of an e-mail message.

Becoming a full-fledged BCCer is quite a drastic measure though! Do you agree with this black and white rule? Or do you have a different opinion? Please share with the Techiquette your method of handling e-mailing large groups of people who don’t know each others e-mail addresses.

Sincerely,

Techiquette

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You’re currently reading “Rule #3- The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is the new BFF (Best Friend Forever) of the VIP (Very Important Person),” an entry on The Techiquette

Published:: February 12, 2009 / 6:06 am

Category:: Rules

Tags:: Blind Carbon Copy, Carbon Copy, email, internet viruses, online etiquette, online security, personal email, spyware, stylistic concerns, techiquette

About

I am a twenty-seven year old Washingtonian who enjoys tackling issues dealing with online correspondence.

Over the years, friends have solicited advice from me on social etiquette, i.e. when to write a ” thank-you” or how quickly to respond to a guy who has asked them out. Antiquated responses to those questions would have been to go read Emily Post’s “Etiquette Guide.” The question is: what are modern people like us supposed to do?

We want answers based on our dependence on technology, especially since we’re more than likely going to send the “thank-you” as an e-mail, and respond to being asked out, via a message from an on-line dating website. The Techiquette is a tool that “plugged-in” correspondents can use to get 21st century answers to their etiquette questions dealing with the Internet, e-mail, and texting.

Please e-mail your online etiquette questions to: TheTechiquette (at) gmail (dot) com. In particular, The Techiquette is interested in your opinion on online etiquette topics, including, but not limited to, online networking websites, facebook, twitter, linkedin, online invitations, and stylistic concerns.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Techiquette

margaux 2.12.09 / 3pm

i think that is an excellent point. i don’t think i’ve ever thought of it before, but i def agree!

NEE 2.12.09 / 6pm

Dear Techiquette,

I think you need to stipulate that you are only addressing mass email BCC-ing. Because – BCC use is on a “case-by-case” basis in my humble opinion.
First, in big groups that are not in any way connecting to one another other than you and will not be engaging with one another, BCC is not only a good tool but should become standard techiquette, for eveyone, even us mere mortals (non-VIP people).

However, BCC-ing is also sneaky, unethical and more damning to the BCCer themselves as they are generating an electronic copy and evidence of whatever is “sensitive” enough to want to BCC one person as an uninvited, unsolicited audience.

It is like hunting – its not a “sport” if the other team (the animals) don’t know they are playing.
So, if you and I are having a conversation between us, it is not privy to other people as a “discussion” unless I know you are copying someone else on to it.

Also, professionally it shows you are lacking.

Beware the BCC.

NEE

ali 2.13.09 / 9pm

I sometimes use the BCC when I am feeling lazy, and I always have a bit of remorse about it. The situation is always one in which i am sending the same email to, say, 10 different people – all in the same industry, but at different businesses. I simply don’t feel like copying and pasting the same email ten times. But I also want them to feel like i sat down and wrote a personal email to each one.

is this acceptable or should i just get it together and write separate emails all the time?

Mike 2.14.09 / 4am

How do you feel about the impersonal aspect of the “BCC”? Personally, I think it has a detrimental impact to the connection felt by the reader. This is the internet and I don’t think e-mail is the only way a “VIP” e-mail address can be found. What do you think? Do you feel that the “BCC” can impact the connection felt by the readers of the e-mail? Should I really care about the often irrational fears of the “VIP”?

JRH 2.17.09 / 1am

I definitely agree that it’s necessary on mass emails, but I think it also should be used in personal emails with a few exceptions: when the recipients already have each other’s information, you are writing the email in order to facilitate an exchange of contact information, or the identity of the other email recipients is important to understanding or responding to the email.

When bcc-ing, the email should be sent to yourself with all the recipients bcc-ed so it is clear that you are bcc-ing. Basically, I think you should treat email as you would other personal information, because that’s what it is. If you’d feel comfortable sending someone’s phone number to the whole group, then go ahead and disclose the email address, if not, maybe you should think twice.

Ask the Techiquette- “Should I really care about the often irrational fears of the Very Important Person? « The Techiquette 3.2.09 / 1pm

[...] the fact that an email invitation in which all recipients are BCCd is a bit impersonal. Please see Rule #3 for the full online etiquette [...]

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Rule #3- The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) is the new BFF (Best Friend Forever) of the VIP (Very Important Person)

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