At a Chicago-area market research firm, an overzealous office manager has become an office joke to Dan, a 33-year-old analyst, and his co-workers.

"She sends e-mails out with 'Clean out the fridge,' or 'The dishwasher is broken,'" Dan says.

The problem is every one of the e-mails is flagged as urgent, has 40-point bold, red fontm, and is in all caps.

"A lot of people just have them automatically go to [their] trash can," Dan says. "They're more annoying than they are helpful . . . If the [office] complex is having a barbecue or anything, it's marked red and urgent."

Getting started with podcasting is a relatively inexpensive venture. The equipment and software required for podcasting is inexpensive for a business contemplating podcasting as a new marketing and communication adventure.

E-mail is easy, no doubt about it. But sometimes shooting off a quick message is not the best idea. "E-mail works great for 'I'd like to talk to you Thursday morning; how does your calendar look?'" says Wayne Turmel, president of Great Web Meetings (www.greatwebmeetings.com), where he teaches people the skills needed to use web presentation platforms effectively. "But when you have open-ended questions and want to understand the other person's side of the story, you want two-way communication."

Here are key phrases that should never be delivered via e-mail:

A beautifully illustrated presentation on creating an effective and unique blogging experience.

What defines a good podcast? Make no mistake--there is a difference between a good podcast and a not-so-good podcast. A high-caliber podcast is much more than just decent content. The sound quality, and the way a podcast is recorded, will impact the value of the podcast as well.

Podcast structure and pre-planning are also important; do not skimp on the production, as it too can make or break a podcast.

Podcast production takes effort, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. Use these tips to help produce a quality podcast that will be distinguished above other related podcasts.

I was recently talking with a friend about the instantaneous nature of e-mails and how unfortunate it can be sometimes. The angry e-mail you send to your ex and immediately wish you hadn't. The forward that never should have been forwarded. But what happens when you misfire an e-mail at work? How do you save face?

Some would say that there's never been any real etiquette on this unruly and often rude Internet.

So, I've put together a list of six tips for acceptable instant messenger behavior that addresses some of my biggest pet peeves.

Twitter was, perhaps, inevitable. It's a Web 2.0 service that allows users to let their social network know exactly what they're doing (or feeling or thinking or eating) at every minute of every day.

If you haven't heard of Twitter yet—or, if you're wondering, "Why would anyone ever want to Twitter?"—you're probably, well, not young.

Whether you have something embarrassing to say, or just have a bit of too-juicy gossip to relate, Privnote has your back, enabling you to send private notes over the Internet.

So, what makes Privnote different from regular emails or instant messages?