International Law

Abuse of the "Reply-All" button is far too common in most workplaces, so I would like to pass on some rules for using the "Reply-All" button from Gawker:

An email with a long list of recipients can be an easy way to accomplish tasks by electronic committee. It can also be an infuriating way to gum up your inbox for days. Let's set some ground rules.

Although it is much maligned, the mass email can be a great way to disseminate information to a large group of people at once. This comes in especially handy when inviting people to a party, changing your address or phone number, or letting everyone on staff know when they can start taking summer Fridays (please, God, can we get that email?). It can also be helpful for group discussions when you're working on a project with several co-workers at once, especially when some of them aren't in the same office and physical meetings are impossible.

The problem isn't the "reply all" button, of course. It's the yahoos who are far too quick to use it to let everyone on a given list know how hung over they are this morning, that Mary Jane in accounting has the most bodacious rack they have seen outside of a porn movie, or that they "LOLed. Thanx ~~BYE!!~~" It's enough to make you want to quit computers altogether and go back to drafting your correspondence with quills.

We don't need to go that far. But we can drastically improve interoffice and interpersonal communications if everyone can agree to just a few simple guidelines.

Take a Minute and Evaluate ...

Answer the Question ...

Keep the In-Jokes to Yourself ...

Don't Just Say Thank You ...

Your Silence Is Your Assent ...

Err on the Side of Replying to One ...

Avoid the Passive Aggressive CC ... 

Take Preventative Measures ...

Read more details about these rules here.