Electronic communication - Standards

Standards help legibility, provide consistency, and enable the reader to receive all of the information you send. There are also organizational standards to consider when representing the University.

• Use standards.
  • Yes, you prefer your 8 year old text editing program. But it is very unlikely that an off campus (an in some cases on campus) reader can *open* the file. For those outside campus, ask what file type you can send that will be convenient. For campus communication, use the standard programs available to all users.
  • Respect others' mailboxes. Wittenberg provides a very large amount of disk space to users for e-mail, but in many places (Hotmail, etc.) are limited to 5-10mb of space. Before sending a large file attachment to someone's off-campus e-mail address, ask them first. You could accidentally lock them out of their e-mail.
  • Images and HTML formatted text have their place, but remember that the reader may be using an older e-mail program, hand-held device, or a dialup connection to read your message. In some cases, images and/or fancy text may render unintelligibly or not at all.
  • All written comunication and the use of University owned graphics is governed by the Wittenberg University Editorial Guidelines for Written Communication and the Identity Standards Manual provided by the Office of University Communications. These references are to help maintain consistency and clarity. They are also useful for understanding how to use building name references, correct typeface information, and several common usage errors. (There's even a bit of history and background for campus landmarks.)
  • Many companies and schools now block particular file types due to the risk of viruses, trojans, and worms. Wittenberg has found it necessary to initiate this practice as well; the types of files that are blocked include: .pif, .com, .cpc, .vbs, .exe, .dll, .scr, .reg, and .zcq.

This document last reviewed October 29, 2004.