September 29th, 2009
Any user of instant messaging programs, such as our own Yahoo!7 Messenger, would be more than familiar with the little faces you can add to your messages. These are called emoticons! They are used to add a little fun or convey emotions in your IM conversations with family and friends.
You can find a full list of emoticons currently available to Yahoo!7 users, here.
But did you know there is also an easter egg inside Yahoo!7 Messenger 9 and 10? That’s right, there are hidden emoticons!
Check out the conversation I was having with Tasla from our Mail team above, using some of the normal and some of the hidden emoticons! See how they liven up our conversation?
Be sure to check out the complete list of hidden emoticons and let us know which one is your favourite!
Happy chatting,
Kate – Yahoo!7 Messenger Team
July 8th, 2009
At some point, we’ve all had the need to refer to an email previously sent and upon going to our Sent box, realised our emails haven’t been saved 
But fear not, the fix is simple, it’s a setting within your mail options!
If you are using the All-New Mail, do the following:
- Click on “Options”, this can be found at the top-right when in Mail.
- Select “Mail Options” from the drop-down menu.
- On the General page, the second option is a tick box to “Save a copy of the message in the Sent folder”. Ensure there is a tick in this box.
- Click on “Save Changes” and then head back to your Inbox.
If you are using Classic mail, do the following:
- Click on “Options”, this can be found at the top-right when in Mail.
- On the General page, about halfway down, is a tick box to “Save a copy of the message in the Sent folder”. Ensure there is a tick in this box.
- Click on “Save Changes” and then head back to your Inbox.
I hope that some of you find this tip useful 
Happy Emailing,
Kate – Yahoo!7 Mail Team
May 22nd, 2009
Minding one’s P’s and Q’s when emailing people is just as important as when conversing with one another. Recently, the Yahoo! UK and Ireland Mail blog ran a survey about pet email hates, with an amazing 22% of respondents listing use of words such as LOL and BTW as their number one peeve!
With that in mind, they have teamed up with leading etiquette expert Jean Broke Smith to form a guide on how to email without offending someone 
Andrew of the Yahoo! Mail Team posted the following definitive guide to email etiquette:
Do….create the right impression and banish the BTWs. People react to email within seconds of receiving it. As the Yahoo! research shows, text speak can be very annoying and shows a lack of correct spelling ability and laziness. It won’t impress!
Don’t… offend. Using capitals is the email equivalent of SHOUTING and is perceived as being extremely rude, so make sure your caps lock is switched off.
Do…. include a subject line. You’ve got three seconds to grab attention when an email appears and by not including a subject in the email, the chances of it being read are greatly reduced. Use the subject line for the purpose it was made and tell people what the email is about.
Don’t… use read receipts. Read receipts demonstrate a distinct lack of trust, so avoid where possible. Follow up with a phone call if you want to ensure your message has reached the right person.
Do… remember the recipient. The failsafe method for emailing is to imagine you are writing a succinct letter. Address the recipient in the correct manner and title. You can be light hearted and humorous as in any written communication, it is a just a matter of judgment. But if you don’t know the recipient, don’t be over familiar and sign off with the right degree of formality.
Don’t…. use CC and BCC unnecessarily. The no. 2 email bug bear is mass distribution of emails, so exercise constraint when it comes to copying people in. If the email is important to other people, simply forward to them at the end, rather than them being caught up in a never-ending email trail. Likewise use the BCC button wisely, again forward emails separately rather than ‘hiding’ other recipients.
Do… take your time. Because of the instant nature of emails it is tempting to deal with them immediately, but rushing an email can lead to errors. Deal with them promptly but don’t panic and reply in haste and always check what you have written before you hit send.
Don’t… over use ‘importance’. Before you even consider using a red exclamation mark, ask yourself is this really important? Only use when it is vital that the email is read, otherwise you are drawing unnecessary attention to yourself and it is a quick way of irritating recipients.
Do…save the kisses. Over familiarity towards your boss or work colleagues is bad etiquette, keep the love and kisses for very good friends.
Don’t… email when angry. If you receive a ‘harsh’ email, read it through, then close it and walk away. Consider your response and if necessary ask someone else to read your reply before you send it, don’t fight fire with fire.
Do… choose a sensible email address. Common sense tells you that you are less likely to land a job if you use a frivolous email address, such as, crazychick@yahoo.co.uk. Think about what your email address says about you as it’s an insight into your personality.
Don’t… hide behind email. It is often easier to write something in words than it is to say it out loud, but don’t say something on email that you wouldn’t say in person. Emails have longevity and it can come back to haunt you!
What are some of your email pet peeves?
Have a great weekend,
Kate – Yahoo!7 Mail Team
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