In this fast paced technological world, I realize people don’t have time to pay attention to minor things like e-mail etiquette or privacy. But there is one extremely valuable feature that is built into all e-mail programs which I think we should be aware of: the BCC field.

BCC stands for “Blind Carbon Copy” and this handy little box enables you to send e-mail to everyone in your address book while hiding their identity and e-mail address.

As a general rule, people don’t like mass forwarded e-mails anyway. Let’s establish that right now. They should be sent sparingly and only when you have something so important that it must go out immediately to everyone.

So when you do decide a topic warrants a mass e-mail, please for the love of God use your BCC field. Your friends will appreciate not having their e-mail harvested out in a message that may be recycled hundreds or thousands of times, each time with their address in it.

The only exception to this rule are work related e-mails that go out to a small team, in which case obviously their addresses should be shown so everyone knows who is in the loop.

This public service announcement has been brought to you by Nathan Exposed.

Thank you, Nathan, for saying what I used to rant and rave about to no avail. No one would listen, so I finally gave up.

Exposed readers: Addresses in the TO field are seen by everyone who gets the message. Addresses in the BCC field are seen by no one but you — not by spammers … not by viruses on other people’s machines … not by people who love to use REPLY-ALL … not by complete strangers … and not by people whom your friends may have legitimate personal reasons not to want you to give their e-mail address to.

It’s just a matter of common courtesy not to decide for someone in your address book how many other people have access to his/her e-mail address. Would you send our your friends’ snail-mail addresses and telephone numbers to everyone? Same diff.