Q&A Hero

Q: Email __________ refers to all the efforts companies are making to keep email clean and safefrom spam blocking and virus protection to content filtering.

Q: A __________ is the online equivalent of recorded audio or video broadcasts.

Q: A video podcast is often called a __________ or __________.

Q: For many companies, email has replaced the more traditional __________ as the primary means of internal communication.

Q: In most instances, don"t use Instant Messaging at work for confidential messages, complex messages, or __________ messages.

Q: To capture your audience's attention, make sure your subject line is compelling and __________.

Q: Blogs, podcasts, bookmarking and tagging sites, photo-and video-sharing sites, wikis, and other electronic tools should be viewed as __________.

Q: You may be familiar with podcasts as the online equivalent of recorded radio or video __________.

Q: Compared to blogs, podcasts are _____________ A) much easier to edit. B) more difficult to edit. C) equally challenging when it comes to editing. D) none of the above.

Q: One of the greatest drawbacks of using podcasts in business is the _____________ A) costly, specialized equipment you"ll need to purchase regardless of the production quality you want. B) increased difficulty of editing your material. C) challenge of scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the message. D) all of the above.

Q: Podcasts are _____________ A) great for entertainment, but not useful in business. B) helpful for training in business, but not much else. C) too technical to be practical for business use. D) none of the above.

Q: When it comes to blogging for business, _____________ A) don"t worry about proofreadingyour audience doesn"t expect it. B) you should apply the three-step writing process as you would for any other business message. C) don"t spend a lot of time trying to define your audience: you"re writing for everyone. D) it is less important to post new material frequently.

Q: "Viral marketing" is _____________ A) the unethical practice of marketing products through computer viruses. B) advertising products and services related to the health-care industry. C) spreading the word about your company and products in much the same way that biological viruses are spread from person to person. D) the process of creating computer viruses to promote your company's anti-virus protection software.

Q: Many businesses now use ___________ to keep project teams up to date, inform employees about general business matters, and replace email. A) social networking software B) bots C) blogs D) all of the above

Q: If you receive criticism from readers based on a business blog, _____________ A) your should respond openly and honestly. B) ignore it unless the critic is incorrect. C) post it, and follow with a blog entry to show your audience that it will not be tolerated. D) do not acknowledge it publicly, since doing so will reduce your credibility.

Q: If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog, _____________ A) your audience will appreciate not having to process information that changes constantly. B) re-post old material so your audience will not lose interest. C) audiences are likely to stop paying attention to your blog. D) none of the above.

Q: "Spim" refers to _____________ A) unwanted email from unknown sources. B) email that contains computer viruses. C) the IM version of email spam. D) none of the above.

Q: Advantages of using IM rather than email include _____________ A) lower cost than phone calls and email. B) availability on a wide range of devices. C) its ability to mimic conversation more closely. D) all of the above.

Q: Drawbacks of IM include the _____________ A) challenge of logging messages for later review and archiving. B) need for users to learn complicated software. C) ability to use it only on expensive, highly specialized devices. D) need to learn how to use complicated hardware.

Q: Which of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email requesting information about an upcoming staff meeting? A) Information needed B) Meeting C) Please send staff meeting agenda items D) What will be covered?

Q: To make an email more readable do all of the following except _____________ A) limit the subject line to describing the general topic of your message. B) make your message easy to follow. C) personalize your message. D) observe email etiquette.

Q: When exchanging multiple emails with someone on the same topic _____________ A) use the same subject line to avoid confusion. B) write a descriptive kind of subject line. C) periodically modify the subject line. D) change the topic whenever the date changes but not before.

Q: Which of the following is an example of an effective email subject line? A) Website redesign is falling behind schedule B) Status Report C) Employee Parking D) Please read

Q: The subject line of an email message _____________ A) is an option rarely used in business. B) helps recipients decide whether or not to read the message. C) should do nothing more than describe the general topic of the message. D) should be mysterious enough to make the audience want to read the message.

Q: Email hygiene refers to _____________ A) the absence of slang and informal language in email messages. B) a nationwide movement to do away with information overload. C) all the efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe. D) the practice of using etiquette when composing email messages.

Q: To minimize the potential problems associated with email many companies have _____________ A) abandoned the use of email altogether. B) adopted formal email policies governing appropriate usage. C) stopped monitoring the messages employees send and receive. D) limited the number of messages employees can send each day.

Q: When it comes to legal issues, _____________ A) email messages mean nothingonly printed documents can be used in court. B) email and other electronic documents have the same weight as printed ones. C) your email messages are off limitsusing them in court would violate your privacy. D) none of the above.

Q: Using email in the workplace _____________ A) requires no more formality than using it for personal correspondence. B) is frowned upon by most executives. C) has dramatically different demands than using it for personal messages. D) is a good idea only in technological fields.

Q: When you want your message to stand out amidst the flood of electronic messages your audience receives, you should ______________________ A) consider sending a printed message. B) flag your email messages as "high priority" or "urgent." C) send multiple copies of the same email message. D) consider sending an IM.

Q: Many businesses are now using podcasts to replace or supplement _____________ A) letters. B) memos. C) conference calls. D) email.

Q: Compared to email, instant messaging _____________ A) is slower and more complicated to use. B) has not caught on in the business community. C) is much faster, but more costly as well. D) offers greater speed and is less susceptible to privacy problems.

Q: Email can be used for external communication _____________ A) regularlyit is now a primary medium for most companies. B) only for formal documents that you need to keep a record of. C) in response to letters your customers have sent. D) only in very informal corporate cultures.

Q: When it comes to writing messages in today's business environment, _________________ A) printed letters are obsolete. B) printed letters are still used often for external communication. C) email has completely replaced printed memos for all internal communication. D) electronic messages have no weight in a court of law.

Q: Which one of the following is generally not used for routine, internal communication? A) Memo B) Email C) Letter D) Telephone call

Q: The process of publication for blogs and podcasts is often referred to as ____________ A) publishing. B) podcasting. C) syndication. D) production.

Q: Bloggers can help each other find audiences by listing favourite blogs ______________ A) in an instant message. B) in an email message. C) in their blogrolls. D) in their bookmarks.

Q: Potential drawbacks of IM include security problems, incompatibility between competing IM systems, and __________ A) archiving. B) interception. C) enterprise. D) sensitive messages.

Q: To avoid sending a flaming email message, _________________ A) be spontaneous. B) let it sit for at least a day and then revise or delete it. C) copy your superior on the message. D) turn your computer off for a while because it is obviously overheated.

Q: Follow the PDF approach for single-screen emails. Here PDF means ____________ A) portable, details, for everyone. B) purpose, details, finish. C) purpose, details, follow-though. D) purpose, directive, follow-through.

Q: A popular Microblogging tool is _________ A) Digg. B) Twitter. C) Vimeo. D) Flickr.

Q: Although RSS is the most common format for publishing blogs and podcasts, it is complicated to use and requires special training. A) True B) False

Q: One way to make your podcast more effective in business is to create a blog that contains similar content. A) True B) False

Q: Tagging the contents of your blog makes it easy for audiences to read everything you"ve written on a specific subject. A) True B) False

Q: To create the most basic podcasts, inexpensive equipment is all you"ll need. A) True B) False

Q: Unlike other business presentations, podcasts require little planning and are most effective when delivered impromptu. A) True B) False

Q: If you do not frequently have new information to post, a traditional website will be more effective than a blog for your business. A) True B) False

Q: Blogging is a great way to promote your company's products through viral marketing. A) True B) False

Q: One drawback of current blogging software is that it takes a great deal of time to post new material. A) True B) False

Q: Blogs are useful in business for communicating during a company crisis. A) True B) False

Q: "Spim" is the term used to describe the IM version of email spam. A) True B) False

Q: Compared to email and phone calls, IM is less costly. A) True B) False

Q: Set the message priority to "urgent" for all the emails you sendit is the only way to make sure everyone will read them. A) True B) False

Q: If you write an emotionally charged email message, let it sit for at least one day before sending it. A) True B) False

Q: Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter in email; getting your message out quickly should be your only concern. A) True B) False

Q: An effective email subject line is very short and describes only the general topic of the message. A) True B) False

Q: If you and someone else are replying back and forth based on the same original email, you should always use the exact same subject line with each new email response. A) True B) False

Q: Leaving the subject line out on important email messages will spark your audience's curiosity and increase their desire to read your email. A) True B) False

Q: Only about 10 percent of all employers monitor incoming and outgoing email. A) True B) False

Q: Email etiquette requires that you respect the chain of command. A) True B) False

Q: In email, "cc" stands for "courtesy copy." A) True B) False

Q: In a court of law, email messages can have the same weight as more traditional printed documents. A) True B) False

Q: It is safe to assume that the usual standards and expectations of business communication do not apply to email. A) True B) False

Q: Compared to blogs, podcasts require more work to create. A) True B) False

Q: One limitation of podcasts is that they can be played only on Apple iPods. A) True B) False

Q: One advantage of blogging for business is that it makes it so easy to stand out from the crowd. A) True B) False

Q: Email is now a primary communication medium for many companies. A) True B) False

Q: Many businesses are replacing email with instant messaging and other tools that provide better support for instant communication. A) True B) False

Q: Printed letters are the still the most common medium for formal internal business communication. A) True B) False

Q: Aggregators automatically collect information about new blog postings and podcasts. A) True B) False

Q: Syndication is the process of distributing web pages and instant messages to over 5000 users. A) True B) False

Q: For basic podcasts, your computer probably has most of the hardware you already need, and you can download recording software. A) True B) False

Q: Your email will be more effective if you email a complaint straight to the top person in your company because it will cut down on forwarding and copying your messages throughout the chain of command. A) True B) False

Q: Video podcasts are often called vidcasts or vodcasts. A) True B) False

Q: Describe six elements that business letters typically have.

Q: Describe what is meant by, "For effective design, pay attention to: consistency, balance, restraint, and detail."

Q: Explain the importance and process of proofreading. Why does it matter and what should you look for?

Q: Describe at least three types of software tools that can help you revise and polish a document.

Q: Explain why editing for conciseness is important; then list the four steps it involves.

Q: Explain at least three of the steps involved in editing documents for clarity.

Q: What three functions do headings serve in business documents? Explain each one.