Discussion Topic 1 – Electronic Messages and Netiquette

Review and Write:  After reading section 9.1 in our e-textbook, write two substantive paragraphs on the role of netiquette in business communication.  Provide a definition in your own words, and write three or four short examples of poor netiquette, and then revise your example following Virginia Shea’s guide to proper netiquette.  If you are aware of other rules of netiquette that are not included on Shea’s list, feel free to include them in your discussion and examples.

Discussion Topic 3 – Proofreading and Writing Persuasive Messages

Review and Write: The letter below is a poorly-written letter – both in terms of errors as well as flaws in the structure of the persuasive argument.

Review the letter, and rewrite it using the points below.  Post your rewritten letter in the discussion.

•        Correct as many errors as you can find

•        Determine whether to use the direct or indirect approach

•        Use the “you” attitude to gain attention in the opening

•        Find a way to establish your credibility

•        Improve the order of material presented in the body of the letter

•        Create an appropriate closing

March 15, 2013

Mr. Robert Bechtold, ManagerKukyendahl Joint, Inc. 888 North Park RoadHouston, TX 77005

Re: Last Warning

Dear Mr. Bechtold,

Enclosed is a list of recent ETS-related court cases that landlords and owners were held liable for making sure that there is toxin-free air in there buildings for tenants.  Alot of these cases made owners pay back rent and also to pay for damages for the harm done before the environmental tobacco smok problem was remidied.  We’ve been plagued with this since we moved in on January 2, 2014 but you haven’t acted on our compliants or responded to our explanations that secondhand smoke is making us sick, filtring in from nearby offices.  Act now or you’ll here from our lawyers.  We’ve told you that when we were required to hire some laborers to apply weather striping and seal openings.  $3,000 was the cost of this (see bills) and want reimbursement.  But the smoke is still coming in. We also want a refund the $9,000 rent weve paid you since January.  Call us immediately  at 832-768-3899 or our lawyers will be calling you.

Cigarette smoke from tenants on either of us, and perhaps above and below also, have been infiltraeting out space and you haven’t done nothing despite our pleas to stop it. This is unaceptable.  This is a known human carcinogen.  Ask the Environmental Protection Agency, which classified it as this Group A toxin.  It causes lung, breast, cervical and endocrine cancer to nonsmokers.  You wouldn’t want to breath it either.

One employees has already quit working for us who suffered from asthma. Another is threatening because hes at a high risk for heart attack. Migraines, brohchitis, repiratory infections all caused by the 4,600 chemicals in TS, including poisons such as cyanide, arsenic, formaldihyde, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.  We’ve had them all – the illnesses, that is.

Second hand smoke is even more dangerous than shatever smokers inhale, since the inhalation process burns of some of the toxins. Sick time has already cost CMSI valuable business and lowered productivity.  Plus many of us are considering finding another jobs unless our office air becomes safe to breath again. But as the court cases prove the responsibility for fixing this problem is yours.  We expect you to live up to that responsibility right away. Frankly, we’re fed up with your lack of response.

Kathleen Thomas, Manager

Discussion Topic 3 – Technology and Communications

We can all agree that technology has had an enormous impact on all aspects of our lives.  For our younger students, do you think your parents ever attended college classes without going to a building and sitting in a classroom for several hours, surrounded by classmates?  This doesn’t even consider reading our textbook in an electronic format!  What about finding a recipe? For our older students, (years ago) when you wanted a recipe for a new dish, you had to talk to your friends and relatives to ask if they had a great recipe for a particular dish they could share with you.  Then, they would likely write it down on a card or paper to give to you.  Today, we can search online for a recipe instantly, print it, save it to a digital recipe box, or take our laptop or tablet into the kitchen.  We can even create a grocery list based on the ingredients in the recipe.  These are examples of how technology has affected our academic lives as well as our personal lives.  Technology has had an enormous impact on business communications as well.

Review and Write:  Review Module 3 on Electronic Communication.  Select two types of technology used in today’s business communication, and write two substantial paragraphs about how each aIDresses a communication situation in your workplace or academic life.  Describe how one technology (or communication situation) may have been handled 10, 15 or 20 years ago, and briefly describe the pros and cons to the improvement.  What were some of the drawbacks of early implementation of each technology? What are some drawbacks of communication technology you are using today?  Keep in mind that the modules in WRTG 394 are somewhat dated and were created in 2004.