How to type an email message

You’ve heard the phrase “master class,” yes?

If you haven’t, let me also tell you there is this really great car insurance company that can save you 15 percent or more on your car insurance…

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<boom>

…aaaaannnnddd that the phrase “master class” is intended to reflect the idea that you are ascending to the ultimate level of expertise in a given subject. You can ‘teach a master class’ in something if you are a bit of a humble bragger, or you can ‘watch a master class’ in something if you want to express your awe at seeing someone demonstrate a particular skill.

This post is NOT intended to be a master class in how to write an email. If you are looking for the finer points on email etiquette, for example when to bcc versus forward after the fact versus cc up front, your time is going to be best spent leaving the blog and heading off for parts more, shall we say, refined. No, the information I am looking to convey is quite the opposite of a master class. Let’s call it ‘email for Dummies’. I am saddened in this day and age that such an instruction is necessary since I would have thought that email usage was ingrained at about the same age a toddler begins to learn bedtime delaying tactics.

But teach we must, so here it goes:

Standard Email Construction:

• Email address of the person/persons to whom you wish to send the message

• Subject line

• Message body

"Well, duh." Yeah, yeah, I hear your internal “obviously”, but did I not warn you we were going Back to Basics? It turns out there are plenty of people who don't understand or have yet to figure out how to type an email. You'd like an example?

Of course I can provide one:

To: YoursTruly@ThisBlogIsAwesome.com

Subject: ireallywanttotelltheauthorofthisblogthattheworktheydoisawesomeandthatireadandfollowiteveryweekandtellallmyfriendsandfamilyaboutitsootherscanenjoythehilarityofthecontentbecauseitsjustsofunnyandihopethebloggermakesatonofmoneyandretirestoatropicalislandbutthenagainmaybenotbecausethentherewouldntbeanymoreposts

Message: (left blank because the entire email is in the subject line)

You get the gist. Not how you type an email.