I must admit, this is a pet-peeve of mine. The excessive use of “reply-all.” There. I said it.
How many e-mails do you get a day? I’m betting lots. It’s the most frequently used form of communication these days. Do you want even more e-mails in your inbox? Didn’t think so.
“Reply-all” is useful when you are replying to a group discussion. I have been “replying-all” ALL day today with a group of women as we prepare a presentation. It’s been fantastic to be able to have this exchange via the mighty laptop.
However, using “reply-all” when you are asking a specific question or making a statement that doesn’t involve everyone else on the distribution list is inconsiderate. I can’t give examples here because I’d offend some people who I know will be reading.
Before you hit “reply-all”, please take a look at the distribution list. If what you have to say or ask applies to all, then go for it! “Reply-all” away! Ensuring that you are intentional about selecting that function shows that you are being considerate of others.
Mind Your Techno Manners,
Kelly
I could not agree more, Kelly! This is a huge problem in corporations, group lists and even family discussions:-) There are so many free online tools for creating easy-to-folllow group ‘discussions’ that we don’t need to use email for that! Thanks for the reminder.
Theresa