What's the correct way to format business emails?

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My colleague sends emails with odd spacing. For example, no line breaks between salutation and the first paragraph.



I'd love to send him a reference so he knows how to lay out formal/business emails better, but I can't find one. I'd also like to know myself!



Can anyone point me in the right direction?







share|improve this question




























    up vote
    12
    down vote

    favorite
    3












    My colleague sends emails with odd spacing. For example, no line breaks between salutation and the first paragraph.



    I'd love to send him a reference so he knows how to lay out formal/business emails better, but I can't find one. I'd also like to know myself!



    Can anyone point me in the right direction?







    share|improve this question
























      up vote
      12
      down vote

      favorite
      3









      up vote
      12
      down vote

      favorite
      3






      3





      My colleague sends emails with odd spacing. For example, no line breaks between salutation and the first paragraph.



      I'd love to send him a reference so he knows how to lay out formal/business emails better, but I can't find one. I'd also like to know myself!



      Can anyone point me in the right direction?







      share|improve this question














      My colleague sends emails with odd spacing. For example, no line breaks between salutation and the first paragraph.



      I'd love to send him a reference so he knows how to lay out formal/business emails better, but I can't find one. I'd also like to know myself!



      Can anyone point me in the right direction?









      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Sep 14 '13 at 12:35









      Rhys

      5,73623558




      5,73623558










      asked Jul 24 '12 at 4:53









      Ev.

      314129




      314129




















          4 Answers
          4






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          11
          down vote



          accepted










          There are no formal standards that enforce how you write business emails. There are however a lot of articles on the Internet that talk about email etiquette, which could be the closest things you'll encounter on this topic.



          Examples of articles:



          • http://www.dailywritingtips.com/email-etiquette/

          Caveat with Email Etiquette



          Unfortunately knowing the proper etiquette does not always make you a effective communicator which should be more of an issue. For some types of personalities; being all too formal and/or wordy may become detrimental for your communication.



          Manager/Career Tools have several podcast episodes that discuss personality types (relating to the DISC personality assessment model) and how to respond effectively on email. You'll be surprised how people with certain tendencies want their emails; e.g. some want it short and to the point while some want it as a rant with lots of smileys and highlighting colors.



          • Email and the High D

          • Email and the High I

          • Email and the High S

          • Email and the High C

          • Sending Effective Email - What Result?

          Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette. However if you do value proper formatting of emails, send your colleague a sample email (just don't always expect him to follow it).



          ... or just tell him nicely that he should space the email appropriately because it is driving you crazy.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 1




            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
            – eggyal
            Jul 24 '12 at 9:48

















          up vote
          7
          down vote













          Do not bring it up.



          No matter how much one's personal style may clash with others, it's not a good idea to ask others to change due to this.



          If you are a co-worker or colleague you could consider asking their manager (in private) - but be aware that in all such cases you will really need to be able to prove that it is an issue. The argument will need to be about a specific thing or event that affected the customer or the product specifically because of how the email was formatted. As you can probably imagine, this is pretty hard to do. The manager would also (reasonably) expect to see several examples to prove that this is a 'pattern' that needs to be addressed, not just one or two cases. This sets the bar even higher as you can imagine.



          It's the mark of a professional to be able to overlook everyone's personal foibles and differences and still be able to work with them. It's not easy but with practice and determination it's a worthy goal.






          share|improve this answer






















          • But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
            – NimChimpsky
            Jul 24 '12 at 13:24










          • Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
            – Ev.
            Aug 20 '13 at 7:07


















          up vote
          7
          down vote













          Strongly depends on relationship...



          I do bring this up when mentoring others - whether I'm the boss or it's a peer situation, but it's much easier to bring it up gently, and if you don't have a formal advisory relationship and aren't asked for advice, it may be best to skip. If you hear the guy complaining that people don't respond well to his emails, it's a different story.



          If, however, you can't make out what he's writing or effectively do your job with the communication you receive from him --- different story! But I'm guessing that if salutations blended onto content is the only problem, this is not a big one, it's a 5 second hiccup and you move on...



          Trick is - there is no standard, and it highly depends on form factor. When someone's writing from a traditional keyboard, they write very differently than if they are using a blackberry with their thumbs - if your company's communication mediums are mixed, you have to accept that format is going to get pretty muddy.



          If I addressed it at all, it would be from the point of view of being effective. Is his message clear and easy to read? If yes, then move on. If no, then focus on that whether text format changes would help.






          share|improve this answer



























            up vote
            5
            down vote













            I wouldn't do that.



            What do you care how someone else formats their e-mails ? Why do you think your way is the correct way, its purely subjective. I personally have completely removed salutations, and try and get as much info into the subject line before even starting the email, which is more often than not itself blank.



            I don't think worrying about a colleagues formatting of e-mail to yourself is a particular productive pastime.



            If they are customer facing, well thats a bit different - but thats not the question.






            share|improve this answer
















            • 2




              +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
              – Angelo
              Jul 24 '12 at 13:50










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            4 Answers
            4






            active

            oldest

            votes








            4 Answers
            4






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes








            up vote
            11
            down vote



            accepted










            There are no formal standards that enforce how you write business emails. There are however a lot of articles on the Internet that talk about email etiquette, which could be the closest things you'll encounter on this topic.



            Examples of articles:



            • http://www.dailywritingtips.com/email-etiquette/

            Caveat with Email Etiquette



            Unfortunately knowing the proper etiquette does not always make you a effective communicator which should be more of an issue. For some types of personalities; being all too formal and/or wordy may become detrimental for your communication.



            Manager/Career Tools have several podcast episodes that discuss personality types (relating to the DISC personality assessment model) and how to respond effectively on email. You'll be surprised how people with certain tendencies want their emails; e.g. some want it short and to the point while some want it as a rant with lots of smileys and highlighting colors.



            • Email and the High D

            • Email and the High I

            • Email and the High S

            • Email and the High C

            • Sending Effective Email - What Result?

            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette. However if you do value proper formatting of emails, send your colleague a sample email (just don't always expect him to follow it).



            ... or just tell him nicely that he should space the email appropriately because it is driving you crazy.






            share|improve this answer


















            • 1




              Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
              – eggyal
              Jul 24 '12 at 9:48














            up vote
            11
            down vote



            accepted










            There are no formal standards that enforce how you write business emails. There are however a lot of articles on the Internet that talk about email etiquette, which could be the closest things you'll encounter on this topic.



            Examples of articles:



            • http://www.dailywritingtips.com/email-etiquette/

            Caveat with Email Etiquette



            Unfortunately knowing the proper etiquette does not always make you a effective communicator which should be more of an issue. For some types of personalities; being all too formal and/or wordy may become detrimental for your communication.



            Manager/Career Tools have several podcast episodes that discuss personality types (relating to the DISC personality assessment model) and how to respond effectively on email. You'll be surprised how people with certain tendencies want their emails; e.g. some want it short and to the point while some want it as a rant with lots of smileys and highlighting colors.



            • Email and the High D

            • Email and the High I

            • Email and the High S

            • Email and the High C

            • Sending Effective Email - What Result?

            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette. However if you do value proper formatting of emails, send your colleague a sample email (just don't always expect him to follow it).



            ... or just tell him nicely that he should space the email appropriately because it is driving you crazy.






            share|improve this answer


















            • 1




              Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
              – eggyal
              Jul 24 '12 at 9:48












            up vote
            11
            down vote



            accepted







            up vote
            11
            down vote



            accepted






            There are no formal standards that enforce how you write business emails. There are however a lot of articles on the Internet that talk about email etiquette, which could be the closest things you'll encounter on this topic.



            Examples of articles:



            • http://www.dailywritingtips.com/email-etiquette/

            Caveat with Email Etiquette



            Unfortunately knowing the proper etiquette does not always make you a effective communicator which should be more of an issue. For some types of personalities; being all too formal and/or wordy may become detrimental for your communication.



            Manager/Career Tools have several podcast episodes that discuss personality types (relating to the DISC personality assessment model) and how to respond effectively on email. You'll be surprised how people with certain tendencies want their emails; e.g. some want it short and to the point while some want it as a rant with lots of smileys and highlighting colors.



            • Email and the High D

            • Email and the High I

            • Email and the High S

            • Email and the High C

            • Sending Effective Email - What Result?

            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette. However if you do value proper formatting of emails, send your colleague a sample email (just don't always expect him to follow it).



            ... or just tell him nicely that he should space the email appropriately because it is driving you crazy.






            share|improve this answer














            There are no formal standards that enforce how you write business emails. There are however a lot of articles on the Internet that talk about email etiquette, which could be the closest things you'll encounter on this topic.



            Examples of articles:



            • http://www.dailywritingtips.com/email-etiquette/

            Caveat with Email Etiquette



            Unfortunately knowing the proper etiquette does not always make you a effective communicator which should be more of an issue. For some types of personalities; being all too formal and/or wordy may become detrimental for your communication.



            Manager/Career Tools have several podcast episodes that discuss personality types (relating to the DISC personality assessment model) and how to respond effectively on email. You'll be surprised how people with certain tendencies want their emails; e.g. some want it short and to the point while some want it as a rant with lots of smileys and highlighting colors.



            • Email and the High D

            • Email and the High I

            • Email and the High S

            • Email and the High C

            • Sending Effective Email - What Result?

            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette. However if you do value proper formatting of emails, send your colleague a sample email (just don't always expect him to follow it).



            ... or just tell him nicely that he should space the email appropriately because it is driving you crazy.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited Jul 24 '12 at 13:45

























            answered Jul 24 '12 at 6:29









            Spoike

            1,9411520




            1,9411520







            • 1




              Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
              – eggyal
              Jul 24 '12 at 9:48












            • 1




              Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
              – eggyal
              Jul 24 '12 at 9:48







            1




            1




            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
            – eggyal
            Jul 24 '12 at 9:48




            Being a more effective communicator is better than slavishly following email etiquette +1000000
            – eggyal
            Jul 24 '12 at 9:48












            up vote
            7
            down vote













            Do not bring it up.



            No matter how much one's personal style may clash with others, it's not a good idea to ask others to change due to this.



            If you are a co-worker or colleague you could consider asking their manager (in private) - but be aware that in all such cases you will really need to be able to prove that it is an issue. The argument will need to be about a specific thing or event that affected the customer or the product specifically because of how the email was formatted. As you can probably imagine, this is pretty hard to do. The manager would also (reasonably) expect to see several examples to prove that this is a 'pattern' that needs to be addressed, not just one or two cases. This sets the bar even higher as you can imagine.



            It's the mark of a professional to be able to overlook everyone's personal foibles and differences and still be able to work with them. It's not easy but with practice and determination it's a worthy goal.






            share|improve this answer






















            • But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
              – NimChimpsky
              Jul 24 '12 at 13:24










            • Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
              – Ev.
              Aug 20 '13 at 7:07















            up vote
            7
            down vote













            Do not bring it up.



            No matter how much one's personal style may clash with others, it's not a good idea to ask others to change due to this.



            If you are a co-worker or colleague you could consider asking their manager (in private) - but be aware that in all such cases you will really need to be able to prove that it is an issue. The argument will need to be about a specific thing or event that affected the customer or the product specifically because of how the email was formatted. As you can probably imagine, this is pretty hard to do. The manager would also (reasonably) expect to see several examples to prove that this is a 'pattern' that needs to be addressed, not just one or two cases. This sets the bar even higher as you can imagine.



            It's the mark of a professional to be able to overlook everyone's personal foibles and differences and still be able to work with them. It's not easy but with practice and determination it's a worthy goal.






            share|improve this answer






















            • But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
              – NimChimpsky
              Jul 24 '12 at 13:24










            • Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
              – Ev.
              Aug 20 '13 at 7:07













            up vote
            7
            down vote










            up vote
            7
            down vote









            Do not bring it up.



            No matter how much one's personal style may clash with others, it's not a good idea to ask others to change due to this.



            If you are a co-worker or colleague you could consider asking their manager (in private) - but be aware that in all such cases you will really need to be able to prove that it is an issue. The argument will need to be about a specific thing or event that affected the customer or the product specifically because of how the email was formatted. As you can probably imagine, this is pretty hard to do. The manager would also (reasonably) expect to see several examples to prove that this is a 'pattern' that needs to be addressed, not just one or two cases. This sets the bar even higher as you can imagine.



            It's the mark of a professional to be able to overlook everyone's personal foibles and differences and still be able to work with them. It's not easy but with practice and determination it's a worthy goal.






            share|improve this answer














            Do not bring it up.



            No matter how much one's personal style may clash with others, it's not a good idea to ask others to change due to this.



            If you are a co-worker or colleague you could consider asking their manager (in private) - but be aware that in all such cases you will really need to be able to prove that it is an issue. The argument will need to be about a specific thing or event that affected the customer or the product specifically because of how the email was formatted. As you can probably imagine, this is pretty hard to do. The manager would also (reasonably) expect to see several examples to prove that this is a 'pattern' that needs to be addressed, not just one or two cases. This sets the bar even higher as you can imagine.



            It's the mark of a professional to be able to overlook everyone's personal foibles and differences and still be able to work with them. It's not easy but with practice and determination it's a worthy goal.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited Jul 24 '12 at 13:16

























            answered Jul 24 '12 at 13:07









            Michael Durrant

            9,68122856




            9,68122856











            • But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
              – NimChimpsky
              Jul 24 '12 at 13:24










            • Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
              – Ev.
              Aug 20 '13 at 7:07

















            • But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
              – NimChimpsky
              Jul 24 '12 at 13:24










            • Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
              – Ev.
              Aug 20 '13 at 7:07
















            But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
            – NimChimpsky
            Jul 24 '12 at 13:24




            But putting salution on the same line is not even a foible, its just quicker.
            – NimChimpsky
            Jul 24 '12 at 13:24












            Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
            – Ev.
            Aug 20 '13 at 7:07





            Ah thanks. It actually doesn't really bug me that much. He's my friend. I never mentioned it to him, because, it's not such a big deal, but when I see emails from him I secretly cringe a little. I didn't say anything because I didn't know if I was even correct in my etiquette. I've looked at the other references in my chain, and I think I am right, but my colleague has moved on now. Maybe I'll bring it up with him over a beer one day. Thanks!
            – Ev.
            Aug 20 '13 at 7:07











            up vote
            7
            down vote













            Strongly depends on relationship...



            I do bring this up when mentoring others - whether I'm the boss or it's a peer situation, but it's much easier to bring it up gently, and if you don't have a formal advisory relationship and aren't asked for advice, it may be best to skip. If you hear the guy complaining that people don't respond well to his emails, it's a different story.



            If, however, you can't make out what he's writing or effectively do your job with the communication you receive from him --- different story! But I'm guessing that if salutations blended onto content is the only problem, this is not a big one, it's a 5 second hiccup and you move on...



            Trick is - there is no standard, and it highly depends on form factor. When someone's writing from a traditional keyboard, they write very differently than if they are using a blackberry with their thumbs - if your company's communication mediums are mixed, you have to accept that format is going to get pretty muddy.



            If I addressed it at all, it would be from the point of view of being effective. Is his message clear and easy to read? If yes, then move on. If no, then focus on that whether text format changes would help.






            share|improve this answer
























              up vote
              7
              down vote













              Strongly depends on relationship...



              I do bring this up when mentoring others - whether I'm the boss or it's a peer situation, but it's much easier to bring it up gently, and if you don't have a formal advisory relationship and aren't asked for advice, it may be best to skip. If you hear the guy complaining that people don't respond well to his emails, it's a different story.



              If, however, you can't make out what he's writing or effectively do your job with the communication you receive from him --- different story! But I'm guessing that if salutations blended onto content is the only problem, this is not a big one, it's a 5 second hiccup and you move on...



              Trick is - there is no standard, and it highly depends on form factor. When someone's writing from a traditional keyboard, they write very differently than if they are using a blackberry with their thumbs - if your company's communication mediums are mixed, you have to accept that format is going to get pretty muddy.



              If I addressed it at all, it would be from the point of view of being effective. Is his message clear and easy to read? If yes, then move on. If no, then focus on that whether text format changes would help.






              share|improve this answer






















                up vote
                7
                down vote










                up vote
                7
                down vote









                Strongly depends on relationship...



                I do bring this up when mentoring others - whether I'm the boss or it's a peer situation, but it's much easier to bring it up gently, and if you don't have a formal advisory relationship and aren't asked for advice, it may be best to skip. If you hear the guy complaining that people don't respond well to his emails, it's a different story.



                If, however, you can't make out what he's writing or effectively do your job with the communication you receive from him --- different story! But I'm guessing that if salutations blended onto content is the only problem, this is not a big one, it's a 5 second hiccup and you move on...



                Trick is - there is no standard, and it highly depends on form factor. When someone's writing from a traditional keyboard, they write very differently than if they are using a blackberry with their thumbs - if your company's communication mediums are mixed, you have to accept that format is going to get pretty muddy.



                If I addressed it at all, it would be from the point of view of being effective. Is his message clear and easy to read? If yes, then move on. If no, then focus on that whether text format changes would help.






                share|improve this answer












                Strongly depends on relationship...



                I do bring this up when mentoring others - whether I'm the boss or it's a peer situation, but it's much easier to bring it up gently, and if you don't have a formal advisory relationship and aren't asked for advice, it may be best to skip. If you hear the guy complaining that people don't respond well to his emails, it's a different story.



                If, however, you can't make out what he's writing or effectively do your job with the communication you receive from him --- different story! But I'm guessing that if salutations blended onto content is the only problem, this is not a big one, it's a 5 second hiccup and you move on...



                Trick is - there is no standard, and it highly depends on form factor. When someone's writing from a traditional keyboard, they write very differently than if they are using a blackberry with their thumbs - if your company's communication mediums are mixed, you have to accept that format is going to get pretty muddy.



                If I addressed it at all, it would be from the point of view of being effective. Is his message clear and easy to read? If yes, then move on. If no, then focus on that whether text format changes would help.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Jul 24 '12 at 18:31









                bethlakshmi

                70.4k4136277




                70.4k4136277




















                    up vote
                    5
                    down vote













                    I wouldn't do that.



                    What do you care how someone else formats their e-mails ? Why do you think your way is the correct way, its purely subjective. I personally have completely removed salutations, and try and get as much info into the subject line before even starting the email, which is more often than not itself blank.



                    I don't think worrying about a colleagues formatting of e-mail to yourself is a particular productive pastime.



                    If they are customer facing, well thats a bit different - but thats not the question.






                    share|improve this answer
















                    • 2




                      +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
                      – Angelo
                      Jul 24 '12 at 13:50














                    up vote
                    5
                    down vote













                    I wouldn't do that.



                    What do you care how someone else formats their e-mails ? Why do you think your way is the correct way, its purely subjective. I personally have completely removed salutations, and try and get as much info into the subject line before even starting the email, which is more often than not itself blank.



                    I don't think worrying about a colleagues formatting of e-mail to yourself is a particular productive pastime.



                    If they are customer facing, well thats a bit different - but thats not the question.






                    share|improve this answer
















                    • 2




                      +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
                      – Angelo
                      Jul 24 '12 at 13:50












                    up vote
                    5
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    5
                    down vote









                    I wouldn't do that.



                    What do you care how someone else formats their e-mails ? Why do you think your way is the correct way, its purely subjective. I personally have completely removed salutations, and try and get as much info into the subject line before even starting the email, which is more often than not itself blank.



                    I don't think worrying about a colleagues formatting of e-mail to yourself is a particular productive pastime.



                    If they are customer facing, well thats a bit different - but thats not the question.






                    share|improve this answer












                    I wouldn't do that.



                    What do you care how someone else formats their e-mails ? Why do you think your way is the correct way, its purely subjective. I personally have completely removed salutations, and try and get as much info into the subject line before even starting the email, which is more often than not itself blank.



                    I don't think worrying about a colleagues formatting of e-mail to yourself is a particular productive pastime.



                    If they are customer facing, well thats a bit different - but thats not the question.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Jul 24 '12 at 12:56









                    NimChimpsky

                    3961212




                    3961212







                    • 2




                      +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
                      – Angelo
                      Jul 24 '12 at 13:50












                    • 2




                      +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
                      – Angelo
                      Jul 24 '12 at 13:50







                    2




                    2




                    +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
                    – Angelo
                    Jul 24 '12 at 13:50




                    +1 for not getting concerned with other people's email style. I would add that the best way one can encourage good email style is to make sure one's own emails are particularly effective. Often, good style gets emulated.
                    – Angelo
                    Jul 24 '12 at 13:50












                     

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