<RANT>

All of the following pet-peeves have occurred today prompting this blog post.

I love e-mail. I use it all the time. I check it often. It’s my main source of communication with the world. I just hate it when people use it improperly. Therefore, I’m going to share my “improper-email-usage-pet-peeve-stuff-things”<– that is my technical term.

Disclaimer: I know not everyone is a “perfect” e-mail user. I know not everyone loves e-mail the way I do. I know it is not everyone’s main source of communication. However, it is 2012 and just because you’re not in my love-of-email-camp doesn’t mean you can be a jerk and break the rules and do these things that annoy me.

1. The proper use of “the CC”

For those of you that don’t know what that “CC” option means, it literally means “Carbon Copy.” It does NOT mean, “Hey, I should send this e-mail to 28 of my friends and I want them all to see that I have carbon copied them on it. I’m sure they won’t mind their e-mail address being given to people they don’t know. I also REALLY hope they reply all when they decide to reply.”

NO.

A CC should ONLY be used if you REALLY need group collaboration. Or if you are e-mail introducing someone. There is NO reason that if you e-mail me along with 27 of your other friends (most of whom I do not know) that I have to sit and sift through 27 reply-alls about something I care nothing about.

Also, for those of you who were also CC’d on that original e-mail – STOP REPLYING ALL. Dude. I don’t need you to REPLY ALL and say “COOL!” or “GREAT IDEA!” You can just REPLY ONE. REPLY TO THE PERSON WHO SENT THE E-MAIL ORIGINALLY.

Only reply all if is is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY that all 28 of us read what you have to say. But I am going to bet that it’s not absolutely necessary. And therefore, you’ve annoyed me and wasted my time.

So, for those of you who are guilty of the group “CC” –  I would like to introduce you to: THE BCC. That’s BLIND CARBON COPY. Yeah, blind. As in no one else on the e-mail can see.

2. Putting me on an e-mail listserv that I never asked to be added to. Especially a group e-mail listserv (like press releases) that is sent from your e-mail client rather than a newsletter client therefore garnering it impossible for me to UNSUBSCRIBE.

Yeah, you know who you are. Take my personal e-mail off. And, if you’re going to regularly send out e-mails to large lists of people in a formal fashion (especially in business) – do it from an e-mail newsletter client like iContact, or Constant Contact, or Presslaff. That way I can unsubscribe. BOOM.

3. Sending me an e-mail telling me that I’ve unsubscribed from your e-mail newsletter.

If I went through the trouble of unsubscribing from your e-mail newsletter, that means I no longer want to receive e-mails from you. I DO NOT want another e-mail from you telling me that I’ve unsubscribed. Yeah, no duh. How about just giving me a confirmation of my unsubscription by NEVER SENDING ME ANOTHER E-MAIL.

#Just Sayin’

4. Not reading my e-mail in it’s entirety and then prompting an answer / question from you that has already been addressed. It’s clear to me that you ignored me. And that’s annoying.

Look, I probably didn’t write you a novel. Read the whole e-mail. If I say, “I can meet Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday after 5:30pm,” DO NOT reply to me and say, “Great, I’ve put you down on my calendar for 1pm on Friday.”

No.

I clearly cannot meet at 1pm on Friday. Because of my previous statement. Capisce?? I can meet Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday after 5:30pm. Because you sent me an e-mail setting a date for Friday at 1pm doesn’t mean the calendar fairies magically appeared and opened up my schedule outside of the times I suggested.

It doesn’t work that way, so you betta recognize.

5. Never replying to an e-mail / taking FOREVER to reply to an e-mail.

Look, you are not Barack Obama. No one is that busy that you can’t reply to an e-mail ever.

I am busy. You are busy. We are all busy. That’s why the technology fairies have made access to e-mail so easy and simple.

You know, I know you can’t check your e-mail every 25 seconds. Say you’re slammed and don’t have time to reply to the e-mail that minute, that’s totally fine. If the e-mail sent to you asks a question or prompts an answer from you, hallabout you just reply and say, “Hey, got your e-mail! I’m busy today but will be sure to get back to you in the next day or so! Thanks!”

That took me a total of 9 seconds to type. You have 9 seconds.

And it doesn’t have to be THAT day. It can be a day or two later. I’m not saying right away. I’m saying EVER. And in a reasonable time period.

Again, you’re not Barack Obama. Reply to an e-mail.

If you are on vacation, and are TOTALLY unplugged and never plan on checking your e-mail while you’re gone, then totally fine. Relax. Set an appropriate out-of-office reply letting me know when you’ll be back in the office. I’m no e-mail grinch – I unplug too. But I let people know when I’m not checking my e-mail.

#JustSayin’

6. The inappropriate use of the out-of-office reply e-mail.

If you’re on vacation and totally unplugged from technology, awesome. Put up the out-of-office reply.

If you’re out of the country on business and not sure what your access to e-mail will be, great. Put up the out-of-office reply.

If you are quitting your job and never using e-mail ever again, fine. Put up the out-of-office reply.

If you are leaving the office early one afternoon or you’re out on sales calls and aren’t gonna check your e-mail till the next morning, NO. Don’t put up the out-of-office reply!

Dudes. Dudettes. The over-usage of the out-of-office reply negates the whole purpose of the out-of-office reply.

#JustSayin’

</RANT>

What do you think? Agree with me? Disagree? What e-mail pet peeves do you have?