Notes on class e-mail

Psychology 435 requires use of e-mail. If you do not already have an e-mail account (you probably do if you are reading this page on line), you can get one from the UO Computing Center. Undergraduates typically get accounts on the computer "gladstone" and typically use the "Pine" e-mail system. For instructions on how to get a gladstone account and use email, see the Computing Center publication "Getting Started on Gladstone," available as a course packet from the UO Bookstore or from the Computing Center documents room.

The Computing Center also provides consulting support. If you have questions related to the use of gladstone or Pine, contact one of the Computing Center's general consultants (Computing Center Rooms 233-239; phone 346-1758; e-mail consult@gladstone.ugladstone.edu). If you are using an on-campus computing lab and have questions about the facility or the software available in the lab, ask the lab staff for help.

This class uses a course-wide mailing list (sometimes called a "listserv") for group discussion. You must subscribe to that mailing list yourself. To subscribe, send an e-mail message from your e-mail account to the program that manages the list, i.e. to "majordomo@lists.uoregon.edu". In that e-mail message, leave the "Subject" line blank, and in the body of the message include two lines: "subscribe copsy", and "end". For example:

  PINE 3.91  COMPOSE MESSAGE  Folder: INBOX  0 Messages
 
  To      : majordomo@lists.uoregon.edu
  Cc      :
  Attchmnt:
  Subject :
  ----- Message Text -----
  subscribe copsy
  end
 

Once you have subscribed to the mailing list, you can send messages to the list by sending e-mail to the address "copsy@lists.uoregon.edu".

Note that your messages will be read by everyone in the class. Keep them short and to the point.

You can read your e-mail either from off-campus (if you have access to a computer and modem) or in one of the public computing facilities on campus.

 

Email Etiquette

(by Cindy Veldhuis)

Because email-speak is a language all unto itself, it's important to know what you are communicating when you do certain things:

ALL CAPS

when you use all upper case letters, it's the equivalent of yelling in e-speak, and people may think YOU ARE ANGRY when you just hit the caps lock key by mistake. Use it discriminately!

Smiley faces

A lot of times you may say something and know you are making a joke, but because others cannot see you, they cannot tell if you are serious or joking. So, if you make a joke, or mean something in jest or sarcastically, it's a good idea to consider using cues:

:) or :-)

smile

;) or ;-)

wink

:( or :-(

frown, sad, etc

<g>

grin

<vbg>

very big grin

But be aware, they may add some social cues, but are still pretty darned limited!

Acronyms that are used a lot

IMO

in my opinion

IMHO

in my humble opinion

BTW

by the way

OTOH

on the other hand

Quoting

When you respond to someone else's email, it's really nice if you can cut out the parts of the previous email that are irrelevant, and just leave the ones that directly refer to what you are saying. This makes it much easier to read, and takes less bandwidth (memory). For example, not so good snipping:

Suzy said:
>I think the world is blue and oysters are yucky, and 
>then the other day I was talking to my professor and 
>he said he thinks that the world is red, and oysters 
>are great.  And I said, "well, that shows how little 
>you know because in fact it said in the newspaper that 
>the world is blue, and so it is.  And also, I think 
>psychology rocks".
 
I agree! :)

Good snipping:

Suzy said:
>I think psychology rocks.
 
I agree!

So, in the first example, we have no idea what part of the message the responder is referring to, plus we have to read that original email again, which is not so very useful.

Flaming

There's this thing in the internet called flaming. Above I said that since this is not face to face communication, it's hard to tell if the person is joking or angry or sarcastic, etc. This is especially noticeable in "flame wars". Sometimes you may think someone is being rude, or they upset you, and so then you sit down and type out a furious response and send it off, and then they reply even more upset and then you get more upset, and it just takes on a life of its own, and people get really angry. This is very common and very avoidable. Here are some ideas for avoiding or de-escalating this:

  1. Be polite, be kind and open, don't assume that how you read the message is how the other intended it.
  2. If you feel attacked, hurt, angry, leave the email for a bit. Have someone else read it and tell you what they think. Try to read it openly and see if there is any way to interpret it differently. Definitely do not respond right away, and when you do respond, have someone else read your response to tell you if it might make things worse, or be misconstrued.
  3. Remember that this is a limited medium, and this stuff happens, and that often it's just miscommunication.
  4. Ask the other person what they meant. Instead of saying, "Oh yeah, well you eat moldy twinkies!", ask "When I read this, I thought you meant that all people who eat black licorice are weird. Is this what you meant, or am I misinterpreting it?".
  5. Sometimes it's best to not deal with it in email, if things start feeling heated, it might be best to talk in person
  6. When in doubt, consult a TA or the professor.
  7.  

A Special Note about The Nature of Discussions in this Class

In this class we will be discussing issues which may have, at times, personal significance for some members of the class. There are no taboos for discussion topics in this course. We will exercise and respect freedom of speech. At the same time, we must take responsibility to ensure that we are respectful of everyone's opinion and that we stay on topic. We will be focusing especially on critical thinking and the use of empirical data to evaluate theories about gender. If you find you are troubled by material while taking this course, and need support or counseling, please be sure to pursue that external support by seeking out a supportive friend, counselor, and/or a social service. The other class members and the instructor and TAs cannot fulfill that function in a class this size and with the mission of an academic experience.

A sample of counseling and social service resources follows. Disclaimer: We do not assume any responsibility for the quality of services offered by the following organizations.

Local Crisis Lines

University of Oregon Crisis Line

346-4488

Sexual Assault Support Services Crisis Line

484-9795

Whitebird Clinic Crisis Line

687-4000

Womenspace Crisis Line

485-6513

Local Counseling

University of Oregon Counseling Center

346-3227

Center for Community Counseling

344-0620

Options Counseling Services

687-6983

Some Additional Campus Resources

UO Women's Center

346-4095

Office of Affirmative Action

346-3123

Student Advocacy

346-3722

Multicultural Center

346-4207

LGBT Educational and Support Services

346-1134

More Information

See:

See also:

Jennifer Freyd, 18 September 1998