This is one letter about emails that I wrote long long ago. The membership quantity and pattern has greatly changed ever since.
I dont think even 10% of the original readers of this email are still there. And even that 10% would not be remembering still.
Perspectives have also changed with the arrival of blogs.
People are at liberty to float it around without altering, of course.
I have been noticing a few things. I began to develope a nagging doubt. May be some people are not yet used to much writing in email lists. So I asked myself some questions repeatedly.
Are there any ways of trying to write effectively in email lists?
Based on some recent observations and some glaring instances I am just putting forth some loud thoughts of mine. Just wanted to give a few pointers.
There are many good writers around. But writing in the internet, especially email is a bit of a different thing.
When you write on paper, which is held up in hand or laid on a table, the whole page falls within your scope of vision. When a person reads, the eyes sort of flit, flirt, skim, skip, hop, step, and jump around the written words, lines, etc. If you read on and on, but come to a particular place where you lost sequence with what was written at the top of the page, your eyes automatically move up and grasp the line and come back.
You can even rescan the whole section with your eyes. You can make a fleeting glimpse and a glance at any one section in a fraction of a second with a single flitting of your eyes; for a very short reference and remembrance. You can tie knots in the flow of the idea which has been unravelled.
In reading like that, you have a holistic view of the whole page. You can even refer back to back pages.
That is definite advantage in a printed document.
All these, though possible, are not very easy in a monitor screen. You see the whole letter in sections. Once you move on and on, you really have to scroll up again and search for the relevent page, to revert back .
Many of us suffer from a syndrome called "Lazy Eyes". Its a term which the ophthalmologists use.
And reading small print in a monitor screen can cause eye strain. There is a new eye condition known as "Computer Eyes". It is caused by prolonged eye strain due to the glare and contrast of a monitor screen.
In email lists, you may receive quite a number of mail. Some sent an avalanche of mails.
Some mails are long, some very very very long, Most are one-liners.
But what is the optimum length of an email that is satisfying and readable?
Angiah is a name that has been long-forgotten. He is one of pioneers of Tamil-Computing.
He is the person who got me into the internet.
After some years, he got disillusioned with the Web and has been cutting a no-profile image.
One of his contributions is a search programme for 'PuRanaanuuRu'.
Angiah told me that I should limit my postings to around of 5-6K or less. He told me not to exceed 4-5 paragraphs.
I try to folow his advise.
The prudence behind this subservience is the very simple logical question that he put forth to me. (Angiah looks silent. But silent waters run deep).
Why do I write? Its definitely not for myself. Its for others to read.
Therefore, its very essential that the letter or posting has to be made, Readable Palatable Absorbing Comprehensive Comprehending
So we agreed upon that and set a limit of upto 6 KB. This is known as the 'Angiah Limit'.
I took his advise and try to follow it. I usually break up long letters and make them into segments. The continuity might be lost, it you lapse in sending them. I do commit that sin quite often. But you have to choose between two evils. So I chose the lesser evil.
When writing about local environment to a foreign audience, some back-ground information definitely has to be given, and when new terms are used or new situations are met with, then some small explanations are needed.
There are many occassions when a writer belonging to a certain country or city would write about some incidence involving someone belonging to that place. It might be an issue which might be very specific to that place. People in other countries would not understand what and why.
If they are to benefit, then something should be written about who the persons are, what happened and something about the background.
Something in the style of the 'Dina Thanthi' of the olden days.
Sending articles in languages or slangs or indiscriminate Romanisation or indiscriminate Romanisation of an abominable slangy dialect that people don't understand will not serve any purpose. On the other hand, it is going to annoy them greatly. May be they may get angry.
Normally we use capital letters if we mean to shout. That is internet parlance.
We use astrisks * if we want to emphasise something. If your email programme has it, you can use bold or italic letters. You can even underline them. Or if you are artistic, you can even colour it - in diffent colours, if you wish. There are a number of smileys which can be used appropriately. But dont use smileys indiscriminately; and at the wrong place at the wrong time.
So people might be wondering what the writer is thundering about in such a stream of bold letters.
Some of us are very timid, you see.
Last of all, please delete unnecessary material at the bottom of the letter. A long letter may cause delayed downloading - especially with bad ISPs.
(I think I have exceeded my length-limit this time.)