Deck 7: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

Question 1

When it comes to monitoring incoming and outgoing email,

A) most employers view monitoring email as an invasion of employee privacy.
B) only a few companies make the effort.
C) many employers monitor email, either with software, security staff, or both.
D) only about 15 percent of U.S. employers do it.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

One important element of basic email etiquette is to

A) use bullets and lists.
B) respect the chain of command.
C) include headings on all emails.
D) capture your readers' attention.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The subject line of an email message

A) should describe only the general topic of the message.
B) is rarely read by the recipient.
C) helps recipients decide whether or not to read the message.
D) does all of the above.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Because many email programs display the first few words or lines of incoming messages, you should

A) leave several blank lines at the beginning of each message.
B) use phrases such as "MUST READ" in your first sentence.
C) be vague in your first sentence, to entice the reader to open the message.
D) treat the first sentence of the message as an extension of your subject line.

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The use of social networks is declining.
B) Despite their popularity for personal use, social networking technologies are not very useful in business.
C) Social networking capabilities have led to a fundamental change in business communication.
D) Social networking technology is so complex that only high-tech companies take advantage of it.

Question 6

Email messages

A) should always be less formal in business than messages in other media.
B) generally require less care than other messages, since email is temporary and easily deleted.
C) should be written with the assumption that they will be stored forever.
D) none of the above.

Question 7

Compared to email, instant messaging (IM)

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

Question 8

Which of the following is the best example of an effective email subject line?

A) Employee Parking
B) Website redesign is on schedule
C) Status Report
D) Read This!

Question 9

Thanks to Facebook, you've recently connected with an old friend who lives in another state. She emails you frequently at work, often sharing racially charged jokes that you find offensive. Concerned about what would happen if your boss or coworkers saw her emails, you should

A) politely ask her to stop sending the jokes, and tell your boss about the problem and how you have addressed it.
B) simply delete her email messages from your computer so no one will ever know about them.
C) loosen up, since no one at your company has the right to read your email.
D) do none of the above.

Question 10

You have decided to post a video on YouTube explaining how to use one of your company's new products. To be most effective, the video should be no more than ________ minutes long.

A) 60
B) 1
C) 25
D) 5

Question 11

Which of the following is not true of instant messaging?

A) It costs more than phone calls or email.
B) It is less susceptible to security and privacy problems.
C) It is widely utilized in business.
D) It allows a rapid response to urgent messages.

Question 12

Overusing the "cc" function when sending email

A) is a violation of email hygiene.
B) is a good way to protect yourself in a hostile work environment.
C) is no longer a big deal since very few people pay attention to these messages.
D) can waste a great deal of time by generating more reply messages than necessary.

Question 13

Despite your numerous emails and voicemail messages, a normally dependable vendor has not responded to your important question. Which of the following would be a sensible next step?

A) Send more email messages, but flag them as "high-priority" or "urgent."
B) Send multiple copies of the same email message.
C) Consider sending a printed message.
D) Use IM to bombard the vendor until he responds.

Question 14

When it comes to writing messages in today's business environment,

A) email has completely replaced printed memos for all internal communication.
B) printed letters are used primarily for negative messages.
C) printed letters are still best for some forms of communication.
D) printed letters are obsolete.

Question 15

Email hygiene refers to

A) refraining from using foul language in email.
B) the absence of slang and informal language in email messages.
C) a nationwide movement to do away with information overload.
D) all the efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe.

Question 16

Email can be used for external communication

A) regularly, although it is replaced in many cases by other tools.
B) only if a superior approves the message.
C) only for formal documents that you need to keep a record of.
D) in response to letters your customers have sent.

Question 17

Using "teasers" in electronic media as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document is

A) acceptable, as long as the payoff is valuable and legitimate.
B) appropriate only when large purchases are not involved.
C) unethical and should always be avoided.
D) never appropriate for microblogging sites.

Question 18

One of your sales representatives has begun using social networks to aggressively promote a new product line. The best response would likely be to

A) encourage him to continue.
B) enact a policy forbidding employees from using social networks on company time.
C) discourage him from using blatant "salespeak" since it is likely to alienate the audience.
D) do nothing.

Question 19

Email etiquette requires that writers do all of the following except

A) mark all emails as "urgent" to make sure they are read.
B) be careful to keep their emotions in check when composing messages.
C) respect the chain of command.
D) make sure every email they send is absolutely necessary.

Question 20

When creating content for social media,

A) to reach a wide audience, you should write as informally as possible.
B) treat every message as a sales pitch.
C) don't hide from criticism: take the opportunity to correct misinformation.
D) write catchy headlines that play on words.

Question 21

When it comes to blogging for business,

A) it is a waste of time unless you are selling high-tech products or services.
B) don't worry about proofreading-your audience doesn't expect it.
C) don't spend a lot of time trying to define your audience: you're writing for everyone.
D) you should apply the three-step writing process as you would for any other business message.

Question 22

Sites such as Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube are valuable for social communication, but not for business.

Question 23

There are no important differences between instant messaging and text messaging.

Question 24

If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog,

A) repost old material so your audience will not lose interest.
B) your audience will appreciate not having to process information that changes constantly.
C) keep readers interested by adding daily comments on current events.
D) you should create a traditional website instead.

Question 25

Email

A) does not need to be proofread.
B) should never be longer than one screen.
C) is the best medium for internal messages, regardless of their content.
D) should follow the convention of other business writing in formal situations.

Question 26

In terms of the three-step writing process, podcasts differ mostly from written messages in the ________ step.

A) completing
B) writing
C) planning
D) There are no significant differences.

Question 27

Advantages of using IM rather than email include its

A) ability to hold real-time text conversations.
B) ability to completely eliminate the equivalent of "junk mail."
C) availability on cell phones but not computers.
D) all of the above.

Question 28

One of the greatest drawbacks to using podcasts in business is

A) the high cost of distributing them.
B) they require costly, specialized equipment you'll need to purchase regardless of the production quality you want.
C) people find online video and audio to be intimidating.
D) the difficulty of scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the message.

Question 29

If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize your business blog,

A) ignore it unless the critic is incorrect.
B) post it, and follow with a blog entry to show your audience that it will not be tolerated.
C) you should respond promptly and honestly.
D) do none of the above.

Question 30

In business communication, email is often being replaced by other tools that provide better support for instant communication and real-time collaboration.

Question 31

In the middle of an important meeting, you receive an unsolicited IM from a company informing you of their great rates on vacations in Hawaii. This is an example of

A) a computer virus.
B) spim.
C) spam.
D) viral marketing.

Question 32

Which of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email requesting information about the August inventory for bananas?

A) Information needed
B) Banana information needed
C) Banana inventories
D) Please send August banana inventory

Question 33

Podcasts are

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

Question 34

Twitter is one example of a microblogging system.

Question 35

"Viral marketing" is

A) the spread of enthusiasm for a product in much the same way that biological viruses are spread from person to person.
B) advertising products and services related to the health-care industry.
C) the unethical practice of marketing products through computer viruses.
D) none of the above.

Question 36

To make everyday email more readable, you should do all of the following except:

A) observe email etiquette.
B) pay attention to grammar, spelling, and usage.
C) keep your message simple and easy to understand.
D) write the subject line and first line of your message all in caps.

Question 37

One of the few remaining functions for the printed, hard-copy document is in legal papers.

Question 38

Many businesses now use blogs to

A) inform employees and customers about new products and how to use them
B) keep project teams up to date.
C) replace email in many cases.
D) do all of the above.

Question 39

For years email has been the primary communication medium at your company. However, many of your employees now use IM daily for personal messages, and they've come to you asking your approval to begin using it to communicate with clients and vendors. Your greatest concern is likely to be

A) the ability to use it only on expensive, highly specialized devices.
B) the need for users to learn complicated software that may take years to learn.
C) incompatibility between your company's IM system and those your vendors and clients use.
D) the high cost.

Question 40

Compared to blogs, podcasts are

A) much easier to edit.
B) more difficult to edit.
C) used only by high-tech companies.
D) equally challenging when it comes to editing.

Question 41

Writing "teasers" on microblogging sites can be effective, as long as the payoffs to which they lead are valuable and legitimate.

Question 42

In business-related email messages, it is a good idea to make frequent use of background colors and colored type to add visual appeal to the text.

Question 43

Email etiquette requires that you respect the chain of command.

Question 44

Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter in email; getting your message out quickly should be your only concern.

Question 45

Because each electronic medium has unique requirements, basic communication skills do not usually transfer from one system to another.

Question 46

Creating effective social media content in business means taking every opportunity to promote your company's products.

Question 47

"Spim" is the term used to describe the IM version of email spam.

Question 48

If your company's social media content draws criticism, it is best to respond promptly and honestly.

Question 49

Instant messaging is a faster communication tool than email.

Question 50

Leaving the subject line out on important email messages will spark your readers' curiosity and increase their desire to read your email.

Question 51

It is illegal for your company to open and read email you send and receive at work.

Question 52

In a court of law, email messages and other electronic documents can have the same weight as printed documents.

Question 53

If you are frustrated that virtually no one responds to your emails, you should set the message priority to "High" for all the messages you send.

Question 54

One advantage of blogging for business is that it enables you to update content quickly and easily.

Question 55

Mistakenly clicking "reply all" when sending an email can be career threatening in today's technology-driven economy.

Question 56

In general, user-generated content sites have yielded disappointing results for companies that have used them for business purposes.

Question 57

SMS is another term for text messaging.

Question 58

In email, "cc" stands for "confidential copy."

Question 59

An effective email subject line is very short and describes only the general topic of the message.

Question 60

Due to budget constraints, very few employers now monitor employee email.

Question 61

Unlike other business presentations, podcasts require little planning and are most effective when delivered impromptu.

Question 62

Using iTunes to distribute podcasts is unrealistic for most organizations.

Question 63

________ systems such as Twitter are being used widely in business for everything from research to customer service to live backchannels during presentations and conferences.

Question 64

Compositional ________ for electronic media include (among others) conversations, comments and critiques, orientations, summaries, and narratives.

Question 65

The ________ ________ of an email is important because it helps readers decide whether to read the message or delete it.

Question 66

The completing step is where podcasting differs most dramatically from written communication.

Question 67

The ________ ________ feature of instant messaging enables users to see which people are at their desks and available to IM.

Question 68

Blogs are useful tools for crisis communication.

Question 69

One of the best ways to distribute podcasts is to use a blog that provides supporting information.

Question 70

One drawback of current blogging software is that it takes a great deal of time to post new material.

Question 71

Compared to email, ________ ________ is faster, simpler to operate, and offers fewer problems with unwanted messages or security and privacy problems.

Question 72

Using hashtags in microblogs makes it easy for people to track topics of interest, but it is complicated and difficult to use.

Question 73

Social ________ sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn have led to fundamental changes in business communication.

Question 74

Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, and Yelp are all examples of community ________ websites, designed to pool the inputs of multiple users in order to benefit the community as a whole.

Question 75

Blogs are an excellent venue for hard-sell sales tactics because they feature a built-in audience.

Question 76

Without a steady stream of new information, a blog is unlikely to be successful.

Question 77

It is best to read from a prepared script when creating podcasts for business.

Question 78

In an email message, "cc" refers to ________ ________.

Question 79

A(n) ________ is the online equivalent of recorded radio or video broadcasts.

Question 80

The IM version of email spam is known as ________.