Netiquette IQ Technical Term Of The Day - Greymail

Graymail From techterms.com

Graymail describes email messages that are generally unwanted, but do not fit the definition of spam. Unlike spam, graymail includes messages from mailing lists and newsletters that you have legitimately signed up to receive. Over time, these messages can begin to clutter your inbox and can easily be mistaken for spam.
The term "graymail" was coined by the Microsoft Hotmail team in 2011, when the company introduced new methods of filtering incoming messages. Graymail differs from spam in the following ways:

1. The email is solicited. You request to receive graymail by opting in, either directly or indirectly. For example, a direct method is subscribing to a mailing list. An indirect method is providing your email address when you register with an e-commerce website.
2. The email is legitimate. Graymail messages are sent by reputable sources who value their relationship with the recipient. The messages usually contain an unsubscribe option, which is honored by the sender.
3. The email content is targeted to specific users. Graymail messages generally contain content that is specific to your interests. While the emails may include text that is similar to spam messages, such as special offers and promotions, the offers are directed to you and other specific users.

Based on Microsoft's research, newsletters and special offers make up the majority of messages in the average user's inbox. By identifying these messages as graymail, Hotmail is able to filter them appropriately. This includes moving newsletters to a specific "Newsletters" category and providing a "Schedule Cleanup" tool that moves or deletes outdated email promotions.

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In addition to this blog, Netiquette IQ has a website with great assets which are being added to on a regular basis. I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, “Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". My new book, “You’re Hired! Super Charge Your Email Skills in 60 Minutes. . . And Get That Job!” will be published soon follow by a trilogy of books on Netiquette for young people. You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

 If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio  Additionally, I provide content for an online newsletter via paper.li. I have also established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and Yahoo.  I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. Further, I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and have been a contributor to numerous blogs and publications.

Lastly, I am the founder and president of Tabula Rosa Systems, a company that provides “best of breed” products for network, security and system management and services. Tabula Rosa has a new blog and Twitter site which offers great IT product information for virtually anyone.

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