| Need for Privacy | | | | How to Use BCC |
| People have become hypersensitive about their | | | | When you send email messages to multiple |
| privacy during the last few years. They now | | | | addressees and you do not want each addressee |
| expect that their details will be used only for the | | | | to know who else has received a copy, use the |
| purposes for which they have been provided and | | | | Blind Carbon Copy field. |
| not shared by original trustees. This is especially | | | | Simply enter all the addresses in the BCC field |
| true of email addresses because of the huge | | | | separated by a semi-colon, comma, or whatever |
| volume of unsolicited commercial email (spam) | | | | your program uses. When you click the send |
| circulating the web. | | | | button, your email will go to each individual with |
| In Australia and elsewhere, there are statutes | | | | only his or her name in the To field. None of the |
| requiring privacy when collecting and using | | | | recipients knows to who else the email has been |
| personal information. (In Australia the Privacy Act | | | | sent. |
| (Commonwealth) was recently amended to | | | | Outlook 200? will allow you to send BCC |
| include private sector use of personal information | | | | addressed email without an address in the To |
| eg, medical records retained by private practices). | | | | field. Other email clients require at least one |
| In an increasingly litigious society, there are not | | | | address in the To field before they allow multiple |
| only sound business reasons, but legal reasons | | | | recipient addresses in the BCC field. Test the |
| why you should ensure the strictest standards of | | | | program you use to see if it needs to have an |
| privacy are applied to personal information of | | | | addressee in the To field. If so, address it to |
| which you are custodian. Despite this, numbers of | | | | yourself. (Surprisingly, email programs usually allow |
| people using email unwittingly reveal the email | | | | us to email ourselves ... that's why I receive so |
| addresses of other people to whom they are | | | | many emails from Jennifer Lopez (just joking). |
| sending email. | | | | If you need to make an entry in the To field, |
| This article tells you how to maintain client | | | | place your own email address in that field and |
| confidentiality when sending email to multiple | | | | everyone else's address in the BCC field. |
| addressees by using Blind Carbon Copy or BCC. | | | | Disadvantages |
| Blind Carbon Copy | | | | What you need to know about BCC is that some |
| The term Blind Carbon Copy is a hangover from | | | | spam filters automatically delete email addressed |
| the dim, dark ages before word processors when | | | | in the BCC field so it never reaches its destination. |
| we used typewriters (some of you have probably | | | | This means that while sending BCC is okay for |
| never seen a typewriter). To produce multiple | | | | privacy, your email might not always reach the |
| copies of a document, one had to place a sheet | | | | intended recipients. |
| of carbon paper between sheets of plain paper so | | | | A problem I had with Outlook Express 2002 was |
| that the type key impact on the top sheet would | | | | that if I sent my email using BCC I couldn't print a |
| be copied to the second sheet (and any | | | | hard copy of the sent message with the |
| subsequent sheets). | | | | addresses on it. I had to write address details on |
| It was a somewhat messy, but proficient | | | | my file copies for record keeping purposes. |
| process. When one wanted to send an original | | | | If sending BCC email is likely to be impractical for |
| letter to one person and copies to several other | | | | you, then you need to consider upgrading your |
| people without showing each recipient who the | | | | email client from the standard run-of-the-mill |
| other recipients were, a BCC annotation was | | | | version to a professional version. That's what I |
| made on the original. Each copy displayed only the | | | | did. |
| name and address of the individual recipient, but | | | | Email Management Programs |
| the BCC notation on the original showed to whom | | | | If, like me, you distribute large quantities of email |
| the copies had been mailed. A BCC looked like this: | | | | regularly to newsletter subscribers, clients, club |
| Bcc: Mr Tom Jones, 14 Weaving Court, East | | | | members, colleagues or anyone else, you will be |
| Melbourne VIC 3000 | | | | better off getting a program designed for high |
| Some email programs allow you to enter email | | | | volume mailings. |
| addresses into the BCC field and send them. | | | | I use and sell a heavy duty bulk email program |
| When you do that each recipient receives your | | | | that lets me do simply, many tasks not easy to |
| message, but the names of other recipients are | | | | achieve with standard email clients like Outlook |
| not displayed. | | | | 2002. For example, the program I use will allow |
| That is why they are called 'blind' - they are not | | | | me to: |
| seen. | | | | Automatically record subscriptions to my |
| By using the BCC feature you preserve the | | | | newsletter |
| identities of those who are on your mailing list and | | | | Personalise each email with a recipient's name or |
| ensure that anyone receiving your email cannot | | | | any other information I choose to include eg, |
| email your list or harvest their email addresses | | | | place of residence |
| and sell them. | | | | Send as HTML or plain text with or without |
| Your Email Program | | | | attachments |
| When you obtain an email program, make sure it | | | | Do a partial send to my distribution list eg, if I |
| has a 'Blind Carbon Copy (BCC)' feature. Programs | | | | wanted to email everyone in Kuala Lumpur, |
| such as Outlook Express and Outlook 200? have | | | | Malaysia, clients 64-73 of 3,000 or all persons |
| BCC capability. Although I have never used it, I'd | | | | whose title is Ms I can do it |
| be surprised if Eudora and other common email | | | | By having a separate program for bulk emailing, I |
| programs didn't have it too. | | | | overcome the problems involved with privacy and |
| If when you click to send a new email your email | | | | reduce the likelihood that my messages will be |
| client displays only the To ... and Cc ... boxes it | | | | eliminated by overzealous spam engines. |
| may be that the Bcc feature IS available, but is | | | | If you rely on email to carry out business |
| simply not displayed. Try the View menu or Help | | | | activities (and who doesn't?), it may be time to |
| menu to see if you can find a Bcc option. | | | | consider how well your email strategy meets the |
| If your email program has a BCC option that you | | | | needs of your business in today's security |
| can select as a permanently visible option, select | | | | conscious society. More information and a free |
| it. If it doesn't, you may need to think about | | | | download that will help you save time can be |
| getting a new program. | | | | found at our site. |