13
Condor
3y

Subject: a rant for devRant

Hello,

Not entirely sure why or when exactly it happened, but after I joined mailing lists I have a pet peeve for people who don't use a proper subject line, or don't use email when I literally made a mail server for that purpose (some organizations really prefer calling apparently). Is it really that hard to summarize a message in one sentence? Hell half the time even the message itself is just a few sentences.

Also the greeting and salutation at the beginning and end of email messages. I find them so redundant. Has anyone ever gotten any meaningful information out of "Hello", "Greetings", "Dear", or something like that? Or "Best regards" or whatever. I get that it's just being polite but it's so meaningless! I really don't like using them anymore. Just a message block and who it came from, that's all it needs to me. Instead pour some effort into the damn subject, the title of whatever drivel you're putting out there! Or replying to an email *only* when the subject matter is still related! Or actually replying to the damn email if it's still that subject matter...

I probably sound like an old man, but seriously.. email isn't a hard concept once you "get it". Anyone can write a halfway decent letter, why isn't that the case for email?

Best regards,
Condor

Comments
  • 8
    I used to write multibullet emails covering subjects. I found that people read the first bullet then respond, and then never address the other bullets. So now I ask single question emails. Wait for response, then ask the next one. I hate doing this, but the audience is unruly!
  • 7
    One of my bosses requires to always greet him nicely and ask him for his day.

    I always sent him overly emphasizing cute messages and annoying emojis.

    He likes it. Everyone else, including most customers, I’m dead plain and direct.
  • 6
    @bagfox ffs, he's not your girlfriend 🀣
  • 6
    @iiii Don't ask questions you don't know the answer to...
  • 5
    @Demolishun how would I find out the answer if I don't ask the question? πŸ€”
  • 4
    @iiii But he’s always so nice to meeee? πŸ₯ΊπŸ₯ΊπŸ₯Ί

    Anyways, you looking good as always! πŸ’―πŸ₯° I bet you’re gonna CRUSH πŸ™…πŸΌ‍♀️ that nasty Android storage bug you’re working on for the past four days!!! πŸ€‘

    GO BESTIE!!! πŸ’πŸΌ‍β™€οΈπŸ‘‘πŸ”₯πŸ”₯
  • 2
    @iiii I think it is a lawyer saying.
  • 5
    @bagfox you gave me cancer now
  • 5
    @Demolishun ugh. *pukes*

    @Condor i taught most apprentices of mine how to write an mail. And behaviour in mailing lists. The reaction was in all times the same: Laughter as if I was joking, realizing my death stare, he's not laughing. Fuck.

    It takes roughly 2 h.

    Text vs HTML mail, in line responses, proper quoting, usage of templates, why subjects are important - IMAP and folder organisation based on rule sets.

    In Germany, they teach all kinds of laughable shit at school or university. But when it comes to every day necessities like a clean mail workflow... Nope. Never heard of that. But Word chainletters are very important. (scnr).

    Mailing lists might not be modern, but when you've grokked the Netiquette, you can write emails that are understandable, index -/ searchable and don't piss people off.
  • 4
    @iii
  • 3
    I noticed before the interview that my current company's address is in a financial district with finance sounding street names. During my interview I said I am sorry if I am little late (was not late) because I got stuck in junk bonds circle. I got a chuckle out of my now boss. So I won points at the start.
  • 1
    I think it’s just corporate code or leftover from times when people were sending a physical letter.

    Relationship between email and traditional post office letter is very intimate.

    I personally miss letters cause you got to have something to say - have some story - before you wrote a letter cause of
    1. limited space
    2. price of stamps

    Now it’s rat race of writing bullshit.
  • 1
    @JustThat nah, rutee makes anal prolapses out of arseholes, you got it wrong ;)
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