Have you ever sent an e-mail you knew almost immediately you would regret?  (More importantly, does this happen often?)  If you've ever wondered if your e-mail client could protect you from yourself, here's a handy tip you should consider:  You can create a rule in Microsoft Outlook 2003 that defers sending messages for a few minutes after clicking the fateful Send button.

Follow these steps:

1. From the menu, Click Tools > Rules and Alerts > New Rule to bring up the Outlook Rules Wizard.
2. Let's Start from a blank rule, and check messages after sending - Click Next.
3. Since the rule will apply to all sent messages, click "Next" to skip selecting a set of conditions.  A dialog box may appear asking you to confirm that this is what you want to do.
4. Check Defer delivery by a number of minutes.  Down below, click on the underlined "a number of" text and select the number of minutes you thinks it takes for your sanity to previal.  Note: if it actually takes a few days, you might have a bigger problem than Microsoft Outlook can help you with.  A couple of minutes usually works for me.
5. If you think you may want to apply some exceptions to this rule, click Next to apply any additional properties.  Meeting invitations are a common exception - We rarely flame people we'll be meeting with shortly.  Otherwise, click Finish.  You're done!
6. Later ... In that fateful moment when you come to yourself after sending an e-mail, rush to your Outbox and delete the message before it goes.  Wow!  You may have just saved your career.
7. Resume breathing.

Mild-mannered e-mail writers need not apply.

My experiences also include accidentally sending e-mails before I finished writing them (doesn't that always look dumb?)  Share your story below about "that message" you wish you could go back in time to erase ...