You Are Stardust, Mostly

APOGEE

APOGEE-2 extends the sky coverage of the SDSS by using telescopes at both Apache Point Observatory (APOGEE-2N) and Las Campanas Observatory in Chile (APOGEE-2S). Using telescopes in both hemispheres means that APOGEE-2 is able to view the entire Milky Way. Image credit: Dana Berry / SkyWorks Digital Inc. and the SDSS collaboration.

Carl Sagan, a famous scientist, said you are made up of “star stuff.” And before you think he was talking about your prowess on the basketball court, or your super knowledge of Minecraft, know that Sagan was making a point about how deeply connected we are as humans to the whole of the universe. Specifically, the building blocks of all life, or what’s sometimes referred to as the CHNOPS elements—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur—are all made in the stars and also are found in our bodies. The nitrogen in your DNA, or the calcium in your bones, or the phosphorous in your cells all can be traced back to “star stuff.”

You may never have heard of Carl Sagan, but he had a popular television series in the 1980’s called Cosmos back in the days when families would gather around their television set and watch together. In those days, people believed science could help us figure out better ways to live here on Earth, and Sagan’s communication skills helped us understand some complex ideas about our universe. Public confidence in science today, according to the Pew Research Institute, is being altered around partisan divisions. Let’s face it; most of us would have a difficult time coming up with the names of scientists that we watch or listen to regularly on our devices.

So you may have missed the news that recently Sagan’s star stuff information added another chapter. Sten Hasselquist, an astronomer at New Mexico State University (NMSU), along with other researchers, have measured the CHNOPS elements among stars across the Milky Way. It’s the first time so many stars have been analyzed for these elements.

“I am interested in understanding how our Galaxy formed and evolved by analyzing the chemical abundance patterns of stellar populations,” Hasselquist states on his NMSU faculty directory page.  He primarily uses data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). The APOGEE uses spectroscopy; it collects light in the near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum and disperses it revealing the signatures of the elements in the atmospheres of stars.  We know now that the atoms in our body are made from ancient stars, so Sagan’s “star stuff” ideas were spot on. Ashley King, a planetary scientist explains this process on London’s  National History Museum website as “galactic chemical evolution.”

Science once again helps us understand who we are and where we fit in this vast Cosmos. Yet, who will tell the stories of these atoms’ journey? And who will listen if we lose interest or faith in the process of discovery and how it can help us make sense of our own journeys? Learning how to communicate science effectively is more important than ever. I invite you to come to the RFSC Writing Center to practice this key skill. Hope to see you soon!

References

Funk, C., Kennedy, B., & Johnson, C. (2020, May 21). Trust in medical scientists has grown in US, but mainly among democrats. Pew Research Center. pewresearch.org/science/2020

Hasselquist, S. (n.d.). New Mexico State University Faculty Directory. astronomy/nmsu.edu/directory/name/sten-hasselquist

Lotzof, K. (n.d.). Are we really made of stardust? Natural History Museum. www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/are-we-really-made-of-stardust.html

Sagan, C. (1973). The cosmic connection: an extraterrestrial perspective. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.

Posted in Audience, Outreach, Overcoming Barriers to Communicating Science, Science CommunicationAdd category, Thought Provoking Ideas | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Student Group Meets: Women in Earth and Mineral Sciences (WEMS)

The newly formed undergraduate EMS student group held a faculty panel discussion on October 29. Victoria Sanchez, Yvette Richardson, Melissa Gervais, Kate Freeman and I were asked to provide “a piece of advice on being a woman in science.”

We learned many on the panel enjoyed science and math in high school; they found themselves naturally pursuing more of these kinds of courses when they enrolled in college. Melissa recalled that a particular physics teacher was instrumental in her career path, and Kate made us all laugh when she told us about the role of tarot cards in her early decision-making.

Overall the evening went by fast because of the animated discussion generated by the insightful questions of the audience. Thanks for inviting me to be part of the kick-off event for this new club.

If you want more information on how to join, contact Vivian Rennie (vur124@psu.edu) or Kayla McCauley (kxm765@psu.edu).

Posted in EMS Activities, Overcoming Barriers to Communicating Science, Professional Development, Thought Provoking Ideas | Tagged | Leave a comment

Professional Etiquette: Emails

 

The best and most comprehensive advice on emailing comes from David Shipley and Will Schwalbe’s book, Send (Penguin Random House: New York, 2010).

I took extensive notes while reading this helpful book. I’m posting my notes here, but I encourage you to purchase and read this book on your own. It has comprehensive advice on this tricky little communication.

Chapter 1: When Should We Email?

Method of delivery sends a message of its own.

Just because we have email, we shouldn’t use it for everything.

Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each form of communication (similar to channel and medium discussion in text)

Seven Big Reasons to Love Email (p.17)

  • Email is the best medium ever created for exchanging essential information (quickly).
  • You can reach almost anyone on email and not just businesspeople.
  • Email knows no time zones—it’s an efficient and economical way to communicate with people around the world.
  • Email gives you a searchable record.
  • Email allows you to craft your message—or your response—on your terms and on your own schedule.
  • You have the choice of preserving and presenting parts or all of a string of preexisting emails.
  • Email lets you attach and include additional information that the recipient can retrieve when and if he chooses.

Eight Reasons You May Not Want to Email (p.22)

  • The ease of email encourages unnecessary exchanges.

Rule: If you wouldn’t stop by a colleague’s office every ten minutes for a chat, you probably don’t want to email him frivolously thirty times a day.

  • Email has largely replace the phone call, but not every phone call should be replaced.

Rule: Conveying an emotion, handling delicate situations, testing the waters—all these are challenges better undertaken with the human voice.

  • You can reach everyone, but everyone can reach you.
    • Hierarchy-free fosters a lack of informality that’s often misguided; ex Hey Professor or Hiya; poll conducted by International Association of Administrative Professionals found that 43 percent of administrative assistants write and send emails under their bosses’ names, 29 percent are allowed to delete emails before their boss has seen them.
  • The fact that email defies time zones also means that it can defy propriety. Don’t know if it’s worth opening until you open it; according to New York Times after a worker has been interrupted with a message, it generally takes nearly half an hour for him to return to his original task—40 percent moved on to completely new tasks leaving old task unfinished.
  • The fact that email always provides a searchable record means that you can be held accountable for your electronic correspondence.

Rule: If you’re working with weasels, watch their emails like a hawk.

  • The ease with which an email can be forwarded poses a danger.

Rule: Never forward anything without permission, and assume everything you write will be forwarded.

  • With email, your words can be changed.

Rule: If you need to send a sensitive document via email, one where it’s essential that your words not be messed with, send your message in a pdf.

Email attachments don’t just come with baggage—they are baggage.

Rule: Before you send an email laden with attachments, keep in mind the following: pack carefully and travel light.

A Quick Word About the Handheld

Important courtesy to observe when sending an attachment to someone you suspect might be on a handheld is to provide a summary of the attachment includes and mention the urgency. Handheld checking is not all that different from any other sort of behavior that demonstrates you aren’t paying full attention to the people you’re with.

Email Alternatives

The Letter: Fully a third reported that they still sent letters and faxes every day.Letters aren’t interruptions.

The value of a letter is greater because someone had to go out of his/her way to get the envelope, stamp, etc.

A handwritten note makes it personal.

You can change your mind and not send your letter.

Six reasons to Send a Letter instead of an Email (p.37)

  • Want a document that you can archive;
  • Want to create something recipient can savor (commendation);
  • Don’t want to interrupt someone;
  • Want to present complex topics;
  • You really mean business and want to register it;
  • Material is confidential.

 The FAX: Three Reasons to Send a Fax Instead of an Email (p.38)

  • Because a fax has a signature.
  • Can send important hard documents (without scanning)
  • It’s more secure

The Telephone (p.39)

There’s something intimate about a phone call.

You can read the cues from the voice.

You can change course as you get feedback.

People use email for bad news because the phone takes courage.

 Seven Reasons to Use the Telephone Instead of Email (p.42)

  • You need to convey emotion;
  • Cut through the communication forest;
  • Need to move fast;
  • Want communication to be private;
  • Need to reach someone who doesn’t check email;
  • Want to engage and respond immediately;
  • Can soften the blow of a harsh blow by using the telephone as an advance warning.

Text and Instant Messages

American Idol has made text messaging more prevalent. IM depersonalizes the conversation so people pay attention to the ideas and not who said them; it preserves a record of the session

 Five Reasons to IM and Text Instead of Email (p.46)

  • They work in real time;
  • Shorter messages;
  • Self-selected working teams to talk to each other and brainstorm;
  • Ideal for mobile, silent, and surreptitious communication;
  • Provide a temporary record.

Ims and Text messages can be saved by individuals and company servers.

Use hybrid strategy alternating between forms.

Combitasking (doing many things at once—i.e., Iming, emailing, talking on the phone, etc.) (p.48)

But I never got that email…90 percent of messages reached their destination within five minutes, a few got stuck for nearly a month (p.49)

In person—don’t forget to show up sometimes. Never do anything electronically that you would want others to do to you in person (p.51).

Silence—never respond to spam and don’t feel obligated to respond to “personal spam.”

When a conversation is clearly over, you don’t need to reply.

There are times when nothing needs to be said (p.52).

Chapter 2: The Anatomy of an Email

TO FIELD: Not talking about mistakenly directed emails

Don’t include too many people in the To Field or no one will respond.

To is’t Cc—put the primary person in the to field and people you want to know about it in the Cc field.

Consider that email addresses are private—be careful who you share them w/

If the person has several emails make sure to send it to the appropriate one

(When it isn’t obvious ask.)

You usually can’t go wrong by replying to the address from whence

the message came—as long as you’re sticking to the same type

of subject.

Never send anything to a business email address that the recipient

would be embarrassed to have the entire company read.

Fill in the To Field according to rank.

BEWARE of the accidental TO—with a slip of the finger, it’s easy to send a

message that’s half-baked or even raw (p.60). Watch the autofill portion of

your address book. Mailing lists can also be tricky.

Cc

Just because someone was in on the email exchange from the start doesn’t

mean that person should be there forever (p.63).

Unilaterally dropping or adding a Cc in an ongoing email can alter group

dynamics or create suspicion (p.64).

If you think someone should be liberated from an email chain, offer to set

that person free (p.64). The politics of the Cc—p. 71.

Escalation—if you Cc someone’s boss on a complimentary email, it’s a way

of enlarging the compliment, but the reverse holds true for a negative comment.

Going Public—Never forget that a Cc has the power to publicly shame someone. Cautionary tale of president of the China division of EMC (p.67)

Note to CEOs: make life easier and copy in the appropriate people; if you’re a

Subordinate and you are corresponding with your boss’s boss, keep your super-

Visor up to date.

Make it clear in your emails to people outside your organization why you’ve chosen people on your Cc list (p.69).

Let your recipients know in your email whether they should reply only to you

Or “Please Reply All.”

Bcc:

By their very nature, blind copies are sneaky things (p.74). Bcc’s should almost never be used for communication within your organization for the simple reason that you don’t want to talk behind the backs of the people with whom you work (p.74).

Bcc’s can be useful when corresponding with parties outside of your organization. Your counterpart’s boss may feel it necessary to get involved if you Cc your boss, but you still want you boss to be included—a Bcc can help you avoid this problem.

Informing Without Escalating

A Bcc to your attorney lets him know what’s going on but doesn’t bring the situation to a boil the way it would if the other side knew you were considering legal action.

The ABC’s of Cc’s and Bcc’s (and Forwarding) p. 77

From:

If you have several email addresses and want the reply to go to all of them, put those addresses in the Cc field. Work for work emails and play to play emails—watch the addresses.

Subject lines:

Most important and most neglect line—a subject line is how you tell yourself what you’re saying (p.80) Use two separate emails if you find your subject line has two main ideas (example w/ Will and the apology and good work) p.81.

Always use subject lines.

Requesting that someone not read the previous message, always gets them to read it.

Shorter and key words at the beginning are important—especially for the handheld (p.83).

Keep the subject line current. Update it.

Don’t fall into the “re;re;re” trap

Avoid hyperbole. Don’t mislead.

Don’t use the subject line as the message.

(Craig of Craigslist—colleague used a reference to what she had heard him say “storytelling is important.” Got a response right away—A good subject line can make all the difference.

Attachments

You wouldn’t fill someone else’s closet with your stuff w/o asking, so don’t crowd his computer memory with gigantic files (p.89).

The Eleven Most Common Types of Attachments (p.89).

Urgent, Notify Sender, and Follow-up Flag (p.92)

Urgency and the desire for a response or a follow-up should be conveyed in the subject line and the text of the message itself.  These options are presumptuous and they can backfire.

Font, Size and Color

In a recent survey, many employers said they would not interview a candidate if they didn’t like the font on his application or cover letter (p.95).

The medium should never overwhelm the message (p.96). Twelve-point type is the norm for business. Use black.

 Opening

People you don’t know are always Mr. and Ms. Don’t start a message with Mr. Keven Bacon.  There should be no double standards. Younger people writing to older people should address the person formally. If you use mail merge, get it right.

Use titles (honorifics) when appropriate. You are free to ignore all uses of Ph.D. and if you have one, don’t put it after your name in a letter.

Dear

Dear is always acceptable and always correct (p.99)

It strikes us as rude to bark out someone’s name “Del.” Similarly “Hey”, “Hi” and “Yo” should be employed with caution (p.100).

A gender-neutral name can be addressed “Dear Pat Riley.”

 Many People

“Dear Colleagues” “Dear Friends” Dear Coworkers are all acceptable. “To Whom It May Concern” is not.

“Greetings” also works.

Who Are You?

A clear indication that it’s ok to move to the first-person familiar is if the person signs his or her email with a first name only.

Keep Your Distance

If someone in our overly flat (and overly familiar ) world has taken liberties with your name—just write back with full names and honorifics.

As You Were

Once you use first names, if you go back to more formal address, someone will assume you are no longer friendly (p.104).

Going Without

Salutation-free: emails among colleagues that are your peers; close friends

Sign-offs

Two parts: the word or words that precede your name, the closing, and your signature (way you present your name)

Closing

Best, All best, Best regards, Best wishes, Regards, Sincerely, Cordially, Sincerely yours, Yours, Love, Love and kisses and xxoo (last three not used in business)

Matter of style—Sincerely is the coldest, Best and Best wishes are at the moment the most common in email (and safe); just make sure not too formal or informal; instead of keeping track of what one you’ve used for whom—just choose one and stick to it or mirror the email you receive.

Signing

Signature tells people how you would like to be addressed. Initials can be maddening to a confused recipient.

Signature block

Elements of a Signature Block (p.112)

Disclaimers

From lawyers, accountants, and other handlers of sensitive information

Chapter 3: How to Write the (Perfect) Email

Because it’s often acceptable to be lax about the rules of grammar on email, there’s the misconception that its always acceptable to be lax about them. That’s not the case (p.115).

Choosing the Right Words

English relies on subtle tone and vocabulary conveys tone. The words can be formal, casual, or in between. Literal/figurative; precise/vague; understated/correct/exaggerated; simple/complex; common/rare; prosaic/or not; trick is to be vivid and specific without forgetting who your audience is: What is my relationship to the person I’m writing?

Example of Ming Lee; Don’t choose words to impress: ”There’s always an element of buffoonery when someone uses a big word incorrectly.

Five Words Almost Everyone Misuses (p.121)

Disinterested-impartial and objective NOT BORED or UNINTERESTED

Irregardless-NOT standard English; use regardless

Nonplussed-confused NOT nonchalant

Penultimate-second to last (not last or really great)

Presently-shortly or soon (not at present or now)

Vocabulary is situational.

Misspellings

Careful word choice is the objective, but poor spelling that reads as sloppiness or worse yet—results in an entirely different word can be more harmful; example given The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys (supposed to be Altar).

Grammar

“Grammar is as important in determining tone as word choice is. The very same words, in different combinations, may or may not mean the same thing. But even if they mean the same thing, they may or may not convey the same tone. Good writing is good writing NO MATTER THE MEDIUM” (p. 124).

Example President Kennedy to McNamara (p. 125)

Keep in mind: Simple, short, repetitive grammar intensifies; complex, clause-filled, rhythmically varied sentences generally soften the message.

Please is a slippery word. It can be used in the wrong way: “Would you please remember to include me on the email whenever you respond to a customer?”

Punctuation (p.128)

It’s ok to be lax so long as you’re on email and on familiar terms with the person to whom you’re writing. Punctuation is a “reading tool” (p.128). Punctuate correctly for those senior to you. Watch out for trailing punctuation…What’s so bad about a period?

Any kind of relaxed punctuation IS NOT appropriate in letters or memos. (You can change the meaning if you drop a comma.) (Find the example in Eats, Shoots, and Leaves for this.)

 Paragraphs (p.130)

Keep them short.

Break a paragraph when you change topic.

Don’t bury a key point in a long paragraph.

Use white space.

 Contractions

Without them the tone is formal and a bit stuffy. In email use contractions otherwise it will be viewed as emphasis and might add chill to the relationship.

Capitals

The writer is SHOUTING. There is an implied casualness to all-lowercase communication too.

Emoticons (p.134)

They are handy and great for shorthand; they can be cute, ironic, or tongue-in-cheek; but don’t use them in any kind of formal email or if you’re trying to make a sarcastic comment and thing the emoticon will lessen the hurt feelings.

 

Exclamation Points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (p.135)

Infuse the message with warmth, and kick it up a notch, but use them sparingly especially in a serious correspondence. Don’t use them for a negative emotion as it will be read as a tantrum.

Abbreviations (p.136)

They have an important function as they are shorthand and they can help facilitate communication and bonding. Don’t use them when the conversation is formal or the other person might not know the abbreviation.

What Every Sentence Needs: The Truth (p.138)

“Truth in writing shines through—as does falsehood and phoniness” (p.139). Hallmark of deceit is excess: too much politeness, too many big words, too much of anything means someone is trying too hard.

Good example on p. 139 posting of James Dilworth the CEO of a small company who posted on Craigslist.

Chapter 4: The Six Essential Types of Email

The Ask: A Guide to Requesting (p.141)

Email makes this way to easy. Think before you fire off a request. Be careful to read the request from the other person’s point of view. It may be intrusive and inappropriate. Tone is important

 Orientation (p.144)

Who are you in relationship to the person you are asking? Subordinate? Superior?

 

More Than Email (p.144)

Use combination strategy: introduce w/ an email and follow up w/ a phone call.

 From the Top (p.144)

Attention grabbing and then request (direct—AIDA)

Stay Connected (p.145)

A friend in common, someone who recommended to contact

Focus (p.145)

Ask for one thing.

Be Brief (p. 145)

But Not Too Brief (p.145)

Supply the details. Be specific.

Make It Stand Out (p.146)

Don’t let it get buried in the text.

Start Small (p.146)

Make a smaller request first; example of 144 “housewives” and Stanford survey; “foot-in-the-door” strategy

Be Up-front (p.147)

“It is dispiriting to discover that what you thought was a genuine and friendly overture was in tact the pretext for a bald request” (p.147).

Help Out (p.149)

When in doubt email between nine and five, M-F. People tend to read their newest emails first, so if the last one is more abrupt than the first couple, it won’t help.

 Be Polite (p.151)

A little flattery never hurts, and it’s sometimes necessary to be extravagantly polite, but don’t exaggerate.

Follow Up Gently (p.152)

Second time around, “I know how busy you are…”

 Tread Lightly (p. 153)

When you have power, be careful not to request frivolously; someone might take your seriously.

A Graceful Out (p.153)

If you give someone a graceful “out” it means you have a potential “in” with them.

An Effective Request (p. 154)

Example of child who wants to come home from camp.

 

The Answer: A Guide to Responding (p.155)

People expect to receive a response to an email within three hours (2006 survey). One in twenty expected to receive a response w/in five minutes!

Three Absolute Rules of Responding (p.156)

  1. Answer at the top.
  2. If you interlace your responses between paragraphs, make it obvious.
  3. Make sure your date and time stamps are correct or it could end up in a weird location in someone’s inbox.

Be Fast with Bad News (p.157)

Don’t make someone sit around wondering,

But Not Too Fast (p.158)

Make the respondent know that you thought about it. And don’t send bad news late on Friday.

Stand Back (p. 158)

IF you’re one of many responding, you might hold back and be able to see what’s already been covered and write “I agree.”

Sometimes the Most Eloquent Email is No Email at All (p.159)

No response is called for if someone continues to send an offensive communication. If you are so angry you can’t respond w/o losing your cool, it may be better not to respond at all.

Other times When You Care Enough to Stop (p.159)

Opposite of a nonresponse is the overresponse—“So here’s the rule: it’s fine to continue confirming and responding as long as there’s a realistic chance of misunderstanding. You can even go one step past tha, signaling the end of the email string with a “Done” (p.159).

When You’re Really Late (p.159)

It’s better to send a late reply than on reply at all.

Five ways to apologize for an inexcusably tardy email (p.161)

  1. I have the awful feeling that I’ve neglected to answer your kind email
  2. I woke up in a panic with the realization that I neglected to answer you
  3. A thousand apologies for the slowness of my reply
  4. I am a horrible person and a terrible friend
  5. I have no good excuse for my rudeness in not answering

Making Up (p.161)

If you’ve irritated someone at work that you like and admire, be quick to respond to every email. Reply promptly and with special cheerfulness to people with whom you’ve had misunderstandings.

Relieving Anxiety (p.162)

It’s a good idea to respond to someone quickly who is experiencing anxiety.

Condolences (p.162)

You can send an email and follow up with a letter or phone call.

Invitations (p.162)

Treat them as you would regular ones: respond quickly.

Out-of-Office Assistant (p.163)

This is a courtesy that helps alert people that you haven’t responded not because of rudeness, but because of absence.

The Last Re-Sort (p.163)

Resort your inbox if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Suggestions from Lawrence Lessing if one becomes bogged down in email sea (p.164).

Balance (p.164)

Respond in kind: a long chatty email= a long chatty email; a fragmentary email with a fragmentary email; be sensitive to whether or not the sender labored over his/her response; also depends on corporate culture

The Facts: A (Short) Guide to Informing (p.166)

Share information and let the receiver know no response is necessary. FYI does this as well as “Please don’t reply.”

 Gratitude: A Guide to Thanking (p.167)

Keeping It to Scale (p. 167)

Make the thank-you proportional to the original deed.

Hit Your Target (p.167)

Make sure you thank the right people. If one did more than another, don’t group them together. It does more harm.

Mixed Messages (p.168)

Don’t ask for something and thank them. They don’t mix.

A Favor Is Still a Favor (p.168)

If someone forwards your something, makes an introduction, or emails you requested information, answer with a thank you.

Stop the Madness (p.169)

But don’t go overboard. A simple thank you is good.

Groveling: A Guide to Apologies (p.170)

An apology must be sincere. Usually it requires a face-to-face groveling.

Use the active voice if you must email: I made a mistake is better than Mistakes were made. I’m sorry I hurt you is better than I’m sorry you feel hurt. Keep it short. It’s not about you.

Four Thoughts About Apologizing on Email (p. 171)

  1. Don’t hide behind the technology.
  2. Use the email to start an apology put carry it forward.
  3. Put the word “Sorry” in the subject line.
  4. Don’t Cc without permission.

The Email Oops (p.172)

If you fired off a thoughtless email, don’t apologize with another email.

The Three Cardinal Rules You Absolutely Have to Follow If you Are Trying to Apologize for a Mistake You Made on Email (p.173)

  1. Email got you in trouble, but it won’t get you out.
  2. Don’t blame email.
  3. Pray the wounded person has made a similar error and is willing to forgive.

Social Glue: A Guide to Connecting (p.173)

Effective emails are clear, concise, and friendly. The movie recommendation, the jolly message that comes out of nowhere can be social glue, and can be the most important emails.

 Chapter 5: The Emotional Email (p.175)

Beasts of email: anger, sarcasm, and duplicity

Anger (p.176)

Write them in a word document and then decide later if you really want to send it.

Expressing anger might cause more unrest. Make sure it’s worth it.

Deborah Tannen’s List of Six Ways Women and Men Tend to Use Email Differently (p.185)

  1. Flame wars; men use aggressive language and think it’s funny-women are more likely to feel attacked.
  2. Women expect a pleasantry in the beginning.
  3. Women want empathy, not advice; men want to fix the problem.
  4. Men are more likely to send jokes.
  5. Men tease more often; women might get insulted.
  6. Men think an email apology is sufficient; women generally don’t.

Sarcasm (p.186)

“Of all the tonal choices you can make in correspondence, the decision to use sarcasm should be carefully considered, and almost always abandoned (p.186).

Study presented indicates that sarcasm only understood 84% of the time (p.188). And if it is understood it won’t endear you to the person. If you have to use it, do it in person.

Loaded Phrases and Rhetorical Questions (p.190)

I can’t imagine why

You’ll have to

Is it too much to ask

Why in the world

It seems odd that

Just curious, but

Please explain to me

Example of Ann (p.91)

“As a general rule, if a question can’t be answered without a loss of face, or if you already know the answer and don’t like it, or if you don’t know the answer but don’t care, then it’s not a question; it’s there purely for tone” (p.193).

Duplicity (p.194)

Don’t encourage gossip or duplicity with emails.

 A Few Words on Being Mean (p.195)

Don’t do it in emails. Example ketchup story.

How to Stay Out of Trouble (p.198)

“If you wouldn’t make the comment to the other person’s face and stick around for the response, you probably shouldn’t put it in an email” (p.198).

 Chapter 6: The Email That Can Land You in Jail (p.199)

Cataphora helps lawyers analyze millions of emails. It looks for “worried” language—phrases such as “can’t sleep,” “high blood pressure,” “confused” etc. It looks for changes in style and traffic patterns. Advice: Be consistent in how you write your emails, whom you include, and when you send them (p.202).

Email is easily made public and can live forever. William Morris Agency in LA in 1992 six employees were fired for remarks about executives of their firm.

Enron, Arthur Andersen, WorldCom, Merck, etc.

Insider trading tips, fraudulent schemes, maps showing where the bodies are buried, but there are even more traps that are less obvious…

The Email That Appears Criminal but Isn’t (p.201)

The Email that Asks Questions That Can Come Back to Haunt You (p.203)

Even the innocent, well-intentioned question on email can become part of a permanent record. Example the “$5,000 email.” Advice: There are certain constructions to watch out for if you’re writing on a potentially sensitive matter. If you find yourself emailing, ‘Do you REALLY think it’s a good idea to…?’ be aware that it’s implicit that you think it isn’t. Phrasing your concern as a question won’t get you off the hook later on (p.204)

 Most companies are actively monitoring employee emails. 36 percent of employers use software to track content, keystrokes, and time spent at the keyboard; 38% have people whose job it is to monitor your email. Don’t put anything in a personal email sent from a company computer that you wouldn’t want the HR department to read (p.207.

 The Email That’s Not So Funny (p.207)

People send inappropriate (racist, sexist, pornographic) jokes. In April 2006, the U.S. Mint in Denver paid its female employees ~$9 million partly because of raunchy emails. Advice: If you’re looking for a list of what not to joke about on email, look no further than the nondiscrimination policy of your company or organization (p.209.)

 The Email That Shouldn’t Have Been Shared (p.210)

Three examples on page 210.

Advice: Loose lips sink ships—and so can sharing and forwarding.

The Email You Should or Shouldn’t Have Kept (p.213)

Tips for archiving: Keep the same stuff; discard the same stuff. People get in trouble when they deviate.

How to Delete Something So It Stays Deleted (p. 215)

Good analogy: “Once you decide to delete, it’s like taking the garbage from your kitchen and putting it in your hallway. It’s still there.”  You have to use a secure delete or a rewriting program to make sure it’s not elsewhere. And if you’re on a system with corporate backup, that probably won’t work.

When in Doubt (p.216)

Eliot Spitzer, New York’s governor when he was state attorney general: “Never talk when you can nod. And never write when you can talk. My only addendum is never put it in an email.”

Chapter 7: S.E.N.D. (p.217)

This is an easy, four-question checklist—to help you determine whether you should or should not hit the Send key.

S stands for simple.

E stands for effective.

N stands for necessary.

D stands for done. (“Am I moving things forward, or am I just moving them off my desktop?”)

The Last Word (p.220)

“Let’s all cut one another some slack….But let’s not cut too much slack, especially when it comes to our own behavior.”

Think before you send.

Send email you would like to receive.

 

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The path to precision


How do I make my writing more precise?

Sometimes it’s the finer details that bring all the flourish both in plants and in your writing. This week, I was called by a supervising engineer in the workplace who asked me how to get his new hires to realize how important precision is to writing technical reports for clients. Here are some ways to improve precision in your writing.

  • Word choice

Coral reef health is significantly related to warmer air and ocean surface temperatures.

Explanation: In technical writing contexts, “significance” and “correlation” convey precise statistical relationships. Chose a less ambiguous word if no statistical test has been used. One fix: Coral reef health is influenced by …”

  • Figurative language

All four plants grew like wildfire.

Explanation: “Grew like wildfire” is an example of figurative language because it has no literal interpretation. In technical writing, state the specific facts. One fix: Growth rates of the 4 plants were determined by measuring from the base of the plant to its highest point using a ruler; plants were measured every 24 hours.

  • Weasel words

Reddish sandstone is pretty dominant here and is kind of sorted and has a brownish matrix.

Explanation: “Pretty dominant” and “kind of” are weasel words because they are intentionally vague. One fix: The southwest corner of the sample site is characterized by beds of sedimentary rock including Aztec Sandstone, which has a red color due to the presence of iron oxide or hematite.

  • Belief or Proof

This is believed to be from anthropogenic input of the smelting ores which proves our study’s hypothesis.

Explanation: Science isn’t a religion. It’s a method of testing and developing knowledge. Proof indicates confirmation to such a degree that there is no other possible outcome. Testing hypotheses results in evidence that may support, reject, or be inconclusive of a hypotheses. One fix: The data support the hypothesis; or the data do not support the hypothesis; or the data support the hypothesis with these exceptions.

  • Value-laden words

The change in income in Pensacola, Florida is worse than that of Florida in most cases.

Explanation: Technical writing may include making recommendations, but the focus is on providing evidence for a preference. Technical writing emphasizes quantification, so using “worse” may have different meanings among readers. One fix: Data USA reports the median household income in Pensacola, FL decreased 193 percent during 2014-2015.

  • Jargon

According to the historical starting and ending days of ODEs calculated above, the data missing period should have a minor influence on the analyses of ODEs happened in both years 2004 and 2005. One fix: Among the limitations of this research is that no testing on ODEs (term defined) occurred during 2004 and 2005.

Be aware what terms are familiar to your audience and avoid needless obfuscation. Yet some words are part of the terminology common to a field of study and may be useful when writing to audiences within this discipline (e.g., conifer versus cone-bearing). When using useful jargon or acronyms, define it the first.

  • Citations

Bituminous coal is a vital energy source and mineral to the global economy and provides over 40% of global electricity and is a key component in over 70% of global steel production.

Explanation: Statistics require citations. Readers use them to determine the credibility of the information. If you are writing about your own ideas or knowledge that is considered common, then citations are not necessary. One fix: Bituminous coal is…(author, date).

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Thanks for the Memories: References and Acknowledgments

Continue reading

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Resumania is BACK…tonight

Time to JUMP IN to Career Fair Week. EMS Undergrads, come to RESUMANIA tonight in 22 Deike from 6 to 7 p.m. Find out what recruiters are looking for and learn best practices for your resume. The graduate writing tutors and I will be on hand to answer your questions and get you all set to get your feet wet at Penn State Fall Career Days.

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Sixth Annual EMS Undergraduate Poster Exhibition Announced

It’s here! Another opportunity to win cold cash. Plus you’ll gain important skills for your future academic and professional careers. You can enter even if you’re not conducting research in a lab. Experiential learning, creative activity, and educational experience relevant to the study of EMS may serve as the subject of your poster.

Want to know more? Check out the guidelines and deadlines on our EMS website.

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Diversity: Why Should I Care?

Employers and graduate schools are seeking individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity during their college years. The global market, demographics, and technology are powerful trends that have made diversity an important workplace issue. Because diversity, equity, and inclusion result in increased productivity and profit, it’s in your SELF-INTEREST to show how you can contribute in the way you work and think in a diverse world.

Should I care?

Diversity isn’t just about racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomics, mental and physical abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities among others. It’s about embracing individual uniqueness and perspectives different than one’s own. Listening in order to truly understand is a key component to developing your diversity talents. We all belong in this conversation, not only because it’s the socially responsible thing to do, but because an environment that embraces diversity, elicits ideas that are more innovative and better able to respond to the dynamic settings of business and academia.

Researching Companies and Schools for Diversity

Become knowledgeable. Check the websites of the companies and schools you’re interested in and read what policies they have. Most companies and schools have diversity statements. Showing that you’re resourceful and interested in their diversity statements will make you stand out to search committees. Some applications require that you write your own diversity statement too. If you’re seeking a company with strong diversity performance, check out the top 50 companies published by DiversityInc.

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Developing Diversity-Focused Career Assets

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CAUSE 2016 Story Live on PSU NEWS

On the hunt for information about wetlands, retreating glaciers, and climate change

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

CAUSE 2016 Mendenhall Glacier

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