When is it proper to use the Cc: (Carbon Copy or Courtesy Copy) feature in personal e-mails? As with many things online discretion comes into play and some folks clearly have more discretion than others!
Using the Cc: field is up to your better judgment based on the situation at hand. What is “proper” is subjective. Cc: is basically used to FYI others while letting them know that can reply with comments but are not required to reply.
Never use Cc: to eTattle or add others to the conversation after the fact. Doing so may cause participants to feel that their privacy or confidentiality is not important to you. Be very careful about your motives when adding addresses to the Cc: field!
When you are in the Cc: field and do have something to add, refrain from hitting “Reply to All”. Only keep those addresses in the Cc: field that need to know about your comments. Same goes for forwarding – that is your opportunity to remove anyone noted in the Cc: — they already have a copy, no need to send them another.
It is always prudent to remove any recipients that are not necessary to, or interested in, the ongoing conversation. When a contact needs the information within an e-mail or that applies to them in some way Cc: them.
Courtesy is not clogging others inboxes with irrelevant e-mails that they are not interested in or that do not apply to them.
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