Where's the Bcc? - Net M@nners

Learn how to use the email Bcc (blind courtesy copy) to protect your contacts privacy.

A Teachable Moment…

Bcc stands for blind carbon copy, a term from when carbon paper was the only way to send copies of written communications. Today, the Bcc, when used with email, is more accurately thought of as Blind Courtesy Copy.

I received an email this morning on the topic of Bcc where the sender was scolding me. First, they noted how I am always “harping” about using Bcc to shield your contacts’ email addresses from strangers. That then leads to how I can harp on without mentioning how to find the Bcc: feature.

“Why would I tell readers to do something without telling them how?” After three decades I sometimes do tend to assume what folks probably know. Thanks for pointing that out (although you could have been a bit nicer.)

So, for starters, to find out where the Bcc is in your email interface, you can search your software’s support website, your favorite search engine or click the Help area within your email program.

Every Email Program is Different

What is true is that most email programs do not make the Bcc intuitively findable or visible. I use and highly recommend PostBox, which allows you to decide what to display with every email, including a Bcc box.

I choose not to display the Bcc globally because I do not use it often. On the rare occasions I have, I open a new email, click View, and check Bcc so the field displays for that particular email.

The Bcc is not consistently located or easy to find throughout email programs, requiring a search for this option.

How do you find the Bcc in your email program?

If Bcc: isn’t showing for Outlook, open a new email message and click Options. Then, on the Fields area, click Show Bcc.
Using Outlook Express, click View> All Headers.
In Thunderbird, click the To field and choose Bcc from the drop-down list.
AOL, put the Bcc: addresses in the “Copy To” box, using parentheses and separating each address with a comma.
Yahoo! Click Cc: (at the To line’s right end). Then click Bcc:
BCc: on Mac mail: Select View: “Bcc Address Field” from the menu to ensure the menu item is checked.
Once engaged, type the recipient’s email address in the Bcc: field.

The Bcc feature is for when you are emailing a bunch of onliners who don’t know each other. You make this effort because you don’t want to publish their email addresses without permission or expose them to strangers.

If you would like to contribute to “How to Find the Bcc” on software or platforms I’ve not mentioned above. I am glad to include your tips and suggestions in this post. Let me know.

Take Responsibility and Learn

It is your responsibility to learn to use all the features of your email software program. Each user is answerable for understanding the technology they are participating in so they can engage in an informed and courteous manner. [Read more on Bcc.]

P.S. I am always open to writing about topics that are important to you. Just let me know!