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Friday, December 12, 2014

E-mail 101 

Two Sony executives have apologized for remarks they made in e-mails that hackers exposed to the world.  One wonders if anyone ever told them that what they write in an e-mail is sent to the world and not just another party because one loses control after hitting the send button.  It is E-mail 101.  Never write in an e-mail what you don't want to see in a headline.  This basic lesson is one that I hammer at students in business communications class.  Yet, people don't learn or easily forget.  Why?  Because they treat e-mail as a stream of consciousness, a continuation of conversation, that doesn't require the same attention as a formal letter.  E-mail is a dangerous medium for that reason.  One should treat it as a sharp tool.  Handle with care.

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