Now committed to “Pax’’ on Facebook and e-mail, the 41-year-old Walsh has no plans to change his distinctive tag. “I want to honor my roots and be different from everyone else,’’ he said.
Standing out in the e-mail onslaught is a challenge. By 2013 approximately 507 billion e-mail messages will be sent each day, according to the Radicati Group Inc., a California-based tech research firm. Even now an e-mail is sent every 0.00000035 seconds. In this welter everyone from bloggers to grandmothers are looking for ways to breathe life into their e-missives.
And just as a handwritten signature gives a personal touch to a typewritten letter, the e-mail sign-off is the only opportunity to add some warmth to a digital note.
“In the world we are living in now, these communications are becoming more friendly and loose,’’ said Corissa St. Laurent of e-mail marketing company Constant Contact. St. Laurent, who heads corporate development for New England, runs workshops to help employees appear approachable in e-mail and keep things casual enough so “people can read your tone.’’
That means DON’T USE ALL CAPS TO SIGNIFY ANGER OR URGENCY. And, yes, think about dropping in an emoticon, even though it makes some people wince. Marianne Gries of Lowell, who is very brief in her e-mail communication, will tuck in a smiley face so “people won’t think I’m mad or mean.’’
Working in the nonprofit sector where language is full of jargon, she strives for clarity when using e-mails, texts, and tweets. Even in 140 characters she refuses to abbreviate.
“It’s kind of obnoxious when you are not communicating as clearly as possible,’’ she said. “A lot of abbreviations are not standard across the board.
“That makes it difficult,’’ said Gries, 37, who works for the Lowell Alliance for Families and Neighborhoods.
She admitted she has a crotchety approach, but said, “if you are going to write something you should write it as well as possible. Respect the form of communication.’’
