DN Editorial: Here's a little refresher for lawmakers who use email

LAST WEEK, a series of emails distributed among Republican lawmakers strategizing about the next budget cycle was obtained by the Inquirer, and included some eyebrow-raising responses among its members. One in particular, from Rep. Brad Roae (Crawford County) suggested cutting education grants to students who have the temerity to study poetry instead of how to get jobs at Walmart.

This latest flap is only the latest - we're in Year 2, after all, in a series of stomach-turning revelations that state officials and Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges were exchanging pornographic and racist emails.

We think it's time that education is a new priority for state lawmakers. And by "education," we mean "a refresher course on emailing." To wit:

1 A server is not someone who delivers your drinks at the strip club. (Hi, Judge!) A server is a computer or program that manages computers and their functions on a network. If you work for the state, and operate a computer at work, your emails and other work is managed by the state server. Two things to know: 1. All your messages that go through state servers are retrievable. 2. Taxpayers foot the bill for those servers, and for your emails.

2 If you hit "reply all" thinking that only your close fellowship of like-minded colleagues will thank you for your insight, well, no. Some will share your reply with others, including the media.

3 You might know how to add attachments to your email. If you don't, it's probably better you don't learn. If you do, avoid attaching files that contain the following: anything that relates to body parts (unless you are the state coroner). Anything you might have found funny in seventh grade. Or third grade. Anything that would force you to resign if it became public.

4 Know that everything will become public, eventually.

5 Deleting emails from your inbox doesn't make them disappear forever.

6 Any email that begins "I'm known for speaking my mind" will end up casting doubts on whether the sender actually has a mind.

7 If the subject line says "My Donkey . . . " trash it. You don't want to know about anyone's donkey.

8 If you open an email that contains pornographic or racist images, block the sender. Your defense that you only received emails and didn't send them is not a defense. It's just pathetic.

9 Never open an email with the subject line: "Here's a funny joke about Obama." Trash it.

10. Never open an email whose subject line is: "The Truth About . . . " no matter who it is about. Trash it.

11 Do not send emails related to sensitive government issues from your personal email account, especially if you are sending it on state servers. See No. 1. Also, see: Hillary Clinton.

12 Esepecially don't do this if your personal email account is from AOL, Earthlink or Hotmail.

13 Are you really angry at someone? Or have great gossip to share? Or want to be snarky about someone? Go ahead and write your email. Then imagine you are about to speak into a microphone. If you're still comfortable with the email, go ahead and hit "Send." (And don't forget to "cc" us.)