Policy on Electronic Correspondence

My email address is:

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If you want me to read what you send me you should first read the following:

Everyone

Please send me email and post to newsgroups only in plain ASCII text (not HTML or MIME) — this is the standard for such communications.

Students

• When mailing about a course, please include the course identifier (e.g. csc108) in the subject. I teach a lot of courses!
• Please use a descriptive subject. "A question" is not descriptive. Most of the email I get is a question (and I get a lot of email). At least indicate whether it's about some lecture material, test remarking, etc..
• Before asking a question by email please check the course webpage and newsgroup carefully to see if it answers your question. For courses that involve programming, if your question is not about course material but about the computer system, then check the system documentation first. We have no doubt told you where you can find general information on the computer system, and these resources contain more detailed and accurate answers to more questions than we can provide. In particular, we usually can't answer questions specific to your computer at home, because we are not necessarily familiar with the operating system you're using.
• Never post to the course newsgroup part of your solution (code or idea) to an assignment: it will be treated as a case of plagiarism with all the consequences this entails.
• I try to answer my email or post replies in the newsgroup within 2 days (3 days over the weekend), unless it violates the above conditions. I also reserve the right not to answer questions about an assignment the day on which it is due, especially if it shows you haven't used the time since the assignment was provided to work on it.
• Please be patient when you send a question. I may not have read my email or the newsgroup yet, may have to find the information, may have to consult with the other instructors to maintain consistency, etc..

But please don't let these guidelines discourage you from asking questions or making suggestions about a course! They are only meant to help you find the information you need quickly and accurately, and to leave me enough time to answer everyone's questions somewhere. In particular, I encourage you to drop by my office hours, they are often the most effective and efficient means of communication.