Reverse Your Email Writing Order For Clear Messages

@bommerts: or if you're a little quick on the draw and hit "send" before your email's complete, it has nowhere to go, saving you from the embarrassment of an incomplete email...not that that's ever happened to me...no!

MarlandPig[17]

@bommerts: I do that, too--It greatly helps with accidentally sending messages, especially if you happen to do any amount of e-mailing from a handheld device, where it's all too easy to mess that up.

masskonfuzion

@StanislausBabalistic: for writing papers, you may start with a title, but you either put way too much thought into it at the beginning, or you'll end up changing it by the time you're finished writing the paper. also, always accept alliteration as art.

While I have both Delayed Send and Attachment Reminder enabled in Gmail, I'm still concerned about sending those same "Oops" emails.

So I've adopted a similar strategy: attachments first (because they always take a while to upload), and then subject and body, and finally the to: field. This strategy prevents me from sending the email accidentally. Of course, it doesn't help improve the body at all...

izzy9985

I would love a Gmail Labs feature that would reorder the email form in this way.

ChristineVespillo

Who was it that said "I would have written you a shorter letter but there wasn't enough time?" I usually write something, then spend more time shortening it and cleaning it up than I did writing the original note. It takes that kind of time sometimes.

Writing the body first makes sense; writing the header after that does too, since by then you really know what the email is about. Adding subjects last ensures you don't accidentally send the email before you're done typing it. (I've done that - hit Ctrl+S instead of Alt+S or something. I *hate* that.)

Is this really such a new idea? I've been following this method for ages. Especially the bit about not entering any recipients yet, or placing them in CC and only moving them to TO when ready for sending.

If anything, I'd wish that Gmail would put the fields in that order! Perhaps Lifehacker can provide a Better Gmail 3 that contains this feature?

I learned the hard way, leave the to: out of it until the end. Even when i reply I delete the name before starting.

I use outlook, crtl-enter sends but I also use crtl-backspace to delete whole words at once, occasionally hitting crtlienter inadvertently.

I use this - but also have Google Mail delay sending by 2 seconds so I can click "Cancel" if I realise the attatchment isn't there. Very useful

Good idea, awaiting the script to change google (and pretty please yahoo) mail. Hope if someone does make it and sends the tip to lifehacker, that it will get a post of its own.

I can see how saving the TO: field for last can save the oops moments, but for me, delayed send [lifehacker.com] and attachment reminder [lifehacker.com] take care of the accidents.

The problem with saving TO: for last is that the content of your message should be targeted to your audience. That e-mail about your project status will be very different depending if it's sent to your boss, your buddy, or your client. Composing an e-mail in the traditional order (To, Subject, Attachment, Body) helps me focus on what I need to say.

bobbo33

@DanteEinnorb: x2

This is a great idea. I hope I can keep it up. The allure of being able to tab through fields quickly might break this good habit before I can solidify it. I have to agree with the sentiments above, a grease monkey script that patched this would be cool.

lordkilgar

Actual newspaper journalists don't write their own headline.

This has been my default modus operandi.
Great idea. Thanks

Sushant Srivastava

The last thing I type is the address. I've received at least once a draft/half-written email from a coworker/boss just because they hit the send button by accident.

Ditto on the first sentence always stating the purpose of the message (the "what's in it for me?"). I HATE the emails people tend to send in the office with long "background" stories only to have whatever they request from me at the bottom!

Micho

@amandakerik: I always put my name on assignments first. Ever have the prof say "There's a couple assignments here with no names"

johnsmith1234

In the body, state in order:
Action
Purpose
Reasons
Evidence

People usually state the topic in a jumbled order.

@bommerts: What I've started doing lately is putting the addresses into the Subject: line, and then just paste it up when I'm ready. Hasn't caused any problems yet, but I'm sure I could mess it up somehow.

tonalanswer

I've made it a habit for several years now to always add the recipient(s) last just to make sure I haven't left anything out first (or to keep me from blasting off a really scathing email). And speaking of emails my biggest pet peeve are those who don't know how to adequately utilize the subject line.

@miquonranger03: And actually, I know that when I'm writing papers, I'll put in a placeholder title just for the sake of formatting, but it usually takes the experience of writing the paper for a good title to come to mind. Though lately I find myself waaaaayyy too drawn to alliteration.

Huh, and I thought I was the only one who does this. It's much like I did in math: show end result, explain work, write summary and then label it with class, my name, etc.

Maybe because I do most of my work in my head before I start the paper process...?

@scojac: re: GUI option via Better Gmail. I was thinking the same thing. We are so conditioned to completing forms from the top down. I have tried to adopt the habit of filling in the "To" field last as a way of paying more attention to ensuring the recipients are correct. Being at at the bottom, instead of the top, would almost guarantee, at least for me, that it was completed last.

CameronMalacky

@ewerybody: sounds more like a Google Labs add-on!

sceo

@gforster: Yea I thought about that too! shouldn't be too hard.

But I'd fill the subject before the body. Because I want to focus on it before I start writing.
I don't write anything down and then name it like it went .. So it should be configurable though.

ewerybody

@miquonranger03: Papers start with a topic, then an outline, a rough draft, and revisions. Work emails are often a sloppy brain dump with vague subject lines, forgotten attachments, or a case of whoops-I-Replied-to-All-again. I can think of a couple people (some overworked, some lazy or poorly organized) whose quality of communication would be drastically improved with this method.

A.Franklin

"Great Idea. And it shouldn't be hard to make a Greasemonkey-script to change the order, either."

Here, here I second this idea. ^_^

Corban

@Giannicolus Jones: I do the same thing. The To field is usually the last thing I fill out. I usually get the Subject down first, then Body, then Attachments, then To. Like someone else said, if I accidentally hit Send before I'm finished then at least it's not really going anywhere.

@johnsmith1234: Ditto here. I haven't tried following the order of the other items in this post, but saving the To: field for last, until I'm actually ready to send the mail out, has helped save me from countless "Oops" moments.

mjgrady

The reverse composition trick was shared by Robby Slaughter in the Indianapolis Productivity Summit yesterday that I attended. I decided that the tip on reverse email was pretty brilliant because of the "Ooops" factor on attachments and even accidentally sending messages too early, or at all when you were a bit too angry and laced the email with a wee bit of vitriol. Glad you all found the post useful, I'll be sharing some more little tips and thoughts I learned in the future as well.

Can I get a greasemonkey script to reverse the order of the boxes in gmail?
:)

twins8791

@miquonranger03: Somebody correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think a large majority of people write their emails on the spot rather than prepare it like they would a paper (unless, of course, they are writing a newsletter or something similar).

This is very logical. It would be interesting to see a email GUI *option* for this format so that I could try it out without being stuck to it if I don't like it. Preferably on Gmail (I wonder if that could be done with the Better Gmail Firefox extension).

Great Idea. And it shouldn't be hard to make a Greasemonkey-script to change the order, either.

kalleguld

I always fill out the to: field last. That way I can't accidentally hit send instead of Save draft, and I make sure I thoroughly review the body, subject, and make sure there's appropriate attachments before I'll "sign it off" by putting the To: addresses in.

johnsmith1234

Looks like a good use for a greasemonkey script or something to incorporate into Better Gmail2. You know, put the attachment part first and the sender last. I have no idea how to code that, but it seems like something worthwhile to work towards.

gforster

Someone should make a greasemonkey script to reorder the message fields in Gmail.

DanteEinnorb

That's silly, at least from my point of view, unless you're one of those people who makes up emails as they go along. For example, when I write a paper for a class, I come up with a title first. Why attach things first, for that matter, if you haven't figured out the gist of the message well enough to know what its intention is?

miquonranger03

Whenever I send something important I make sure to fill in the To: field last. Even if it's a reply, I cut and paste that into notepad, so I don't hit send before I'm ready.

This actually makes a lot of sense!

Erik Piehl Sylvén

That makes a lot of sense. I also like the subject/body switch. By the time you've written the body, the subject should be self-evident.

Who knew there were improvements to be made in an email client's GUI?

Totally agree. Plus if you accidentally hit 'send' before you finish writing, you won't look like a buffoon because there's no one in the To: field yet!

bommerts

@bobbo33: if only i could know my target audience without typing it out... hmm...

iamellis

I can dig that. Attachment (if any) first and To last. Makes perfect sense.

Ngui Yuen Loong

This is pretty sensible. I've gotten to the point that I don't add any addresses in the To: field until I'm positive the e-mail is ready to go (I've had one too many "oops, didn't mean to send that just yet" episodes). And given the number of times I've ended up changing the subject line, I might as well go whole hog with this process...

GalinaMetellus

The subject is soo important--and should never be written without full knowledge of the full body of the text. In pre-outlook days my corporate email client used to have configurable buttons, and I would remove the send button so that i would look at it all first, and only send deliberately. I still reread before sending, and after adding on the subject.

Cornflower

@howardyeend: I think I've always just done this pretty much instinctively. It seems logical to write the message first before you do anything else

Do this for longer writing, too, such as academic papers: Write the body of the paper, then the conclusion; revise and revise; save the introduction for last.

eleventhing the Greasemonkey (or Stylish) requests, it would make so much sense.

TheLostVikings

@iamellis: ZING!

TheLostVikings

@Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®: Exactly-few things in the 21st century are more likely to arouse my ire than a poor subject line-either people don't put anything in an all (primitives) or they try to write the whole email in the subject line (barbarians) or absolute worst-the people who reply to emails on one subject with a topic of a completely different subject (heathens/heretics/Philistines-they should be burned).

Lupus_Yonderboy

Agree completely-I already do this when I "compose" emails-especially the important work ones that very sensitive people can get out of kilter about and "come talk to me". I'm bad about replies, however, as I usually just hit the button and go from there. If it's especially important, I make sure to write everything up in a text file and then hit the "reply" button, add my attachments (if any) and then fill in the body. Nothing's quite as embarrassing as sending the email that says "Please see attached" with no attachments...

Lupus_Yonderboy

@DanteEinnorb: this might be better suited as a gmail labs applet (or whatever they call them)

I tend to do 2, 1, maybe a bit more 2, then 3 then 4. Never really thought about it before.

Gareth Pitt-Nash

@bimplebean: "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." - Blaise Pascal
[en.wikipedia.org]

bobbo33

@DanteEinnorb: @BrettKS: or put the focus on the main body part first and modify the order the tab works accordingly

AspasiaCaballerial

i like it. sometimes the obvious needs to be stated in order for you to think of it!

Tyler Young

@MarlandPig[17]: Isn't that just exactly what bommerts said?

Just thought I'd let everyone know that Robby Slaughter has left a comment on the original post that gives instructions for reversing the field order in the Microsoft Outlook 2007 new mail form.
[www.everyjoe.com]

@[office.microsoft.com]

@robbyslaughter

robbyslaughter

@bobbo33: It would be better if email had a "safety" feature, so that you could not fire it off accidentally. But although you are saving typing the name of the recipient to the end, you are certainly thinking about them through the production of the the body and the subject. You are not likely to forget who they are. It also makes it easier to decide who needs to be on the TO, CC, and BCC lines, if anyone, since you are now reading the message you just composed.

@robbyslaughter

robbyslaughter

@CameronMalacky: It makes perfect sense to complete a form from the top down---if you don't use that form very often. That's because the form also has the job of reintroducing the topic.

But since we send and receive hundreds of emails a week, the form should be optimized for expert usage, not for gentle reintroduction to the concept of email. That's the problem and the power of the solution.

@robbyslaughter

robbyslaughter

@DanteEinnorb: I burned an hour on this task today. It's possible, but it's not easy. Gmail's input fields are generated by JavaScript so you need to latch onto them after they are made and the rearrange them accordingly.

@robbyslaughter

robbyslaughter

@miquonranger03: Writing a paper for class is completely different than composing an email. Your essays are meant to bring together many hours of research and many years of study. An email is vying for attention among a messy inbox, and must be as brief and clear as possible. Writing the subject last encourages us to summarize.

@robbyslaughter

robbyslaughter