POssible to hide preview pane for "confidential messages"

[Jethro]

Normally I have preview pane on - no problem. However I'm currently
having an email discussion which I'd rather people didn't know about.
Since I work closely with my colleagues, anyone can sit down and see
my screen ... rather than turn off preview pane (suspicious in itself,
when I've always had it on), is there a way to tell Outlook not to
preview confidential messages ? Things are made even worse by the fact
that Outlook "helpfully" puts a bloody big banner across the subject
saying "Please treat this message as confidential", which can be seen
from outer space.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to have encountered this issue, but
googling for "confidential hide preview" turned up zilch.

I *know* I could set a rule up to move confidential messages, but
wondered if there's an inbuilt mechanism.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Normally I have preview pane on - no problem. However I'm currently
having an email discussion which I'd rather people didn't know about.
Since I work closely with my colleagues, anyone can sit down and see
my screen ...

How? If you're sitting down, they cannot sit down and see the screen. If
you're NOT sitting down, you've locked your screen so they can't get at it.
Can you explain how that doesn't cover all situations?

rather than turn off preview pane (suspicious in itself,
when I've always had it on), is there a way to tell Outlook not to
preview confidential messages ?
No.

Things are made even worse by the fact
that Outlook "helpfully" puts a bloody big banner across the subject
saying "Please treat this message as confidential", which can be seen
from outer space.

Not if you don't tell it to do that.

 

[Jethro]

How?  If you're sitting down, they cannot sit down and see the screen.  If
you're NOT sitting down, you've locked your screen so they can't get at it..
Can you explain how that doesn't cover all situations?

Have you never had a colleague come over so you can show them
something ? There's outlook, in the background ... can clearly be seen
as you're switching windows

No.

...perhaps there should be ....

Not if you don't tell it to do that.

I'll have to lRTFM on that one ....

 

[Gordon]

Have you never had a colleague come over so you can show them
something ? There's outlook, in the background ... can clearly be seen
as you're switching windows

Then minimize Outlook BEFORE you call them over....

 

[Jethro]

Then minimize Outlook BEFORE you call them over....

.... or my boss (who sits next to me) has to wlk behind me for
something ...

I guess I'll have to create a rule :-(

 

[Diane Poremsky]

rather than turn off preview pane (suspicious in itself,
is the message signed with a digital signature? That is the best way to keep
it out of the preview pane.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I guess I'll have to create a rule :-(

Or stick to doing what you're paid to do and save the "confidential"
discussions for when you're at home.

 

[Jethro]

Or stick to doing what you're paid to do and save the "confidential"
discussions for when you're at home.

The discussion was with our HR department - our site isn't so large
that a personal visit wouldn't go unnoticed. Obviously a phone call is
out of the question too.

I can see this might be a feature which bosses would appreciate.

 

[Jethro]

is the message signed with a digital signature? That is the best way to keep
it out of the preview pane.

Is that something that can be done unilaterally ? I can create a
digsig for myself, but would it require my HR contact to do the same.

As I said, a bit of RTFM

 

[Brian Tillman]

Have you never had a colleague come over so you can show them
something ?
Sure.

There's outlook, in the background ... can clearly be seen
as you're switching windows

So, minimize Outlook before showing the collegue whatever it is you wish him
or her to see. It seems as though you want Outlook to compensate for your
lack of care.

...perhaps there should be ....

Perhaps. It would be a worthwhile feature, as you sat. Why don't you
suggest it?

I'll have to lRTFM on that one ....

See Tools>Organize>Using Colors>Automatic Formatting and see if there's a
setting there that causes messages with sensitivity equal to "Confidential"
to be displayed differently.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Is that something that can be done unilaterally ? I can create a
digsig for myself, but would it require my HR contact to do the same.

As I said, a bit of RTFM

You each can get your own digital certificate from any of several
cartification authorities, like VeriSign or Thawte. You can also get one
from http://cacert.org/ , I believe. However, the people who control the
assets at your work might not appreciate it if they couldn't monitor your
mail. It IS their property, after all.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

the sender has to sign the mail - then it won't display in the preview.