Be more efficient with e-mail

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BY ERIN PHEIL
special to the daily
January 6, 2008

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E-mail Tip of the Week: Preventing One-Word and Pointless Replies
This is a tough one. Some people feel peeved when their e-mails aren't responded to with confirmations, thank-yous, or other forms of acknowledgment. On the other hand, plenty of folks feel equally annoyed when they *do* receive e-mails saying nothing more than "Got it." Or "Thanks." Or "Will do." Or "Great link." Or "I agree."

As these one and two-word e-mail replies can be viewed either as polite responses or as petty time-wasters, the task of training e-mail recipients how to reply to *your* communications remains entirely up to ... you.

If you don't mind these types of short e-mail responses, you need not do anything - you're all set.

If you *do* mind these types of short e-mail responses, start ending your e-mails with a short sentence along the lines of "This is just FYI, so no need to reply." This simple technique will substantially reduce the number of 'pointless' replies you receive in your inbox.

Technology Gadget of the Week: The Best Looking Fire Extinguisher You've Ever Seen
First I'd like to make it clear that I never once thought I'd be writing about a fire extinguisher in this column, but my goodness, this really is some gorgeous technology.

The HomeHero Fire Extinguisher offers an intuitive design that "enables anyone in your family to use the product with ease, even under the most challenging circumstances." And did I mention it has a gorgeous design? It does. It's simple, sleek, white and minimal.

I do have to be upfront with you, though: the HomeHero fire extinguisher isn't available yet; I believe it'll be available for purchase this coming summer. See for yourself and learn more here: http://www.homehero.net/productInformation.html.

Grab Bag: Five Links of the Week
• www.readycolorado.com - A site designed to help Coloradans prepare for responding to and recovering from a wide array of disasters. You know. Just in case.

• http://tinyurl.com/2279zn - A blog entry detailing how you can use 25 percent less gasoline with the vehicle you already own.

• www.ambientdevices.com/products/umbrella.html - This umbrella's got you covered, whether rain, snow or sunshine. It knows and it glows when rain or snow is on its way. No setup required, either.

• http://tinyurl.com/yr6bp8 - How to load any website directly into your Firefox sidebar.

• http://ebaysupplies.usps.com - Attention eBay sellers; this site allows you to order free Priority Mail shipping boxes (delivered to your home at no charge) with the USPS and eBay logos on them. The boxes are available in six sizes.

And that's it for today, everyone. Have a great week, and see ya next Monday.

Based in Frisco, eRin pheiL is the primary creative force behind timeforcake (www.timeforcake.com). She can be reached via phone at (970) 668-0709 or e-mail at info@timeforcake.com.