The trouble with bcc
Every couple of months, mayhem erupts on one of the internal mailing lists regarding the use of blind carbon copy (bcc) in e-mails. The process begins like this:
- A long thread with arguable relevance to the majority of list participants begins
- Someone decides that the discussion is not interesting, and replies to the message with the original mailing list on bcc, and a comment like ?bcc’ing list; take this offlist?
- The bcc defeats e-mail filters which look at the ‘to’ field, so that mail which was probably filtered to a sorted folder ends up in the inbox for many people
- Someone gets annoyed by the messages in their inbox, and spams the whole mailing list with an impassioned plea to ?please stop the bcc; it clutters my inbox!?
Invariably, many solutions are proffered which fit the category of ?if everyone in the world behaved exactly like me, these things wouldn’t happen!?
Here are the options:
- Make everyone stop using bcc to large distribution lists.
- Make a personal appeal. Explain that it’s rude to cut off conversation. Explain that bcc ruins inboxes and complicates lives.
- Show them a better way. Tell them to reply using IRM, or the ?prevent reply all? trick, instead of being rude.
- Make yourself immune to bcc floods
- Configure your filtering rules properly so that all bcc (and some spam) goes to a ‘junk’ folder
- Rule 1: mail addressed directly to you goes to inbox, stop processing more rules
- Rule 2+: mail addressed to particular addresses, etc. gets filed in appropriate folders, stop processing more rules
- Last Rule: remaining mail goes to ‘junk’ folder
Option ‘2′ is not good if you enjoy getting normal bcc e-mail in your inbox, but it’s your best defense if you’re on a lot of distribution lists.