FAQ: Courtesy e-mail copies

1. What is a courtesy e-mail copy ?

An e-mail copy of a message posted to the usenet.


2. When should courtesy e-mail copies be used ?

- When you want the recipient to notice your mail

- When the recipient asked a question, and you feel that he should
  get the response as soon as possible

- When the volume is high, or the propagation is poor, so that you
  are afraid the the recipient would not notice your response


3. Why should a courtesy e-mail copy be labelled as such ?

Because many people consider an e-mail as "personal communication",
and feel the need to answer, but are not requested to do it.


4. How should a courtesy e-mail copy be labelled ?

"posted & e-mailed", preferrably at the beginning


5. Why are people so upset when they get such an unlabelled copy ?

Because they take the time to make a personal reponse, then discover
that they have to do it all again, when they see the post in the 
newsgroup a few hours or days later.


6. Why do some people make the mistake again and again ?

Because they use a newsreader that facilitates this form of double
posting. In Mozilla, the two buttons are quite near to each other.


7. What will happen to people who don't comply ?

Three possibilities:
  1. E-mail from them will be killfiled
  2. E-mail from them will be read, but never answered
  3. Every e-mail (even really personal) will be answered publicly