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Watch out for that send button! That is my word of caution as I conclude my thoughts on effective electronic communication. That send button on your computer makes it easy to get a message off right away, but it also can become your Achilles heel if it is used carelessly.
Remember everything you send through email is out there somewhere in cyberspace forever and ever! You may intend it to be for one person’s eyes only, but it can very easily be distributed or read by people who were never supposed to read it. Whatever you say in cyberspace cannot be taken back. You lose control of your message once you hit send. Those emails can come back to harm you, to destroy friendships, even to ruin careers.
Not long ago I wrote an email about a sensitive situation and was just about to send it when I realized there was no way I wanted that email in cyberspace. And then, also not long ago, I sent an email to the wrong person. I chose the correct first name, but failed to see that there was more than one person in my address book with that first name. I sent it to the wrong person. Thankfully it wasn’t of a sensitive nature so there was no harm done, but I just realized again how easy it is to send an email to the wrong person.
A good rule of thumb is to read over every word in your email before you send it. Check the name or names and make sure they are correct. And then ask yourself, is there anything in this email that should not be in writing? If in doubt, don’t! Pick up the phone or wait until you see that person to send that message. It’s not as fast, but it could save you lots of trouble in the future.
Proverbs 21:23 says, those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Guarding your words—even those electronic words—can truly help you avoid calamity.
