Cc (Carbon Copy)

✔ Keep others informed: Cc those who should be in the know but need not respond, and specify why. Example: “Felicia, I’m copying you to update you on what we’ve decided yesterday.”

✘ Mass email people who might not know one another: You’ll be revealing everyone’s addresses without their consent. Use Bcc instead.

Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy)

✔ Send updates to many people: Addresses in the Bcc field are hidden from a recipient’s view, so you can send information (e.g., a list of upcoming events) to many unrelated people at once.

✔ Remove people who are no longer involved: After person A has introduced you to person B, shift A to Bcc. This tells A that you’ve followed up, without flooding him with a chain of replies. Mention this in your email. Example: “Thanks Audrey for the linkup! Moving you to Bcc.”

✘ Secretly include other recipients: If anyone in the Bcc unthinkingly hits the “Reply all” function, your sneaky ways will be revealed. Use Cc for open communication – or forward the message in a separate email.

Read more:

• bit.ly/howtoccbcc
• bit.ly/bccorsee
• bit.ly/bcc_courtesy