Sep 13, 2010

MMMM # 110    Reply ALL!

     We've all done it...hit the wrong reply button on an email and blasted out a reply to a lot of people who were not the intended targets. Sometimes a quick follow up explaining the error is all that's needed, but if the email contained some kind of private information, it can be downright embarrassing.
     A week ago, that's exactly what happened to a candidate for the Legislature. An aide emailed him, asking for advice about which reporters and bloggers she should include in her "Follow Friday" list on Twitter. The candidate replied that he was attaching his list....but, he wrote, the important ones were...and he named a half dozen reporters.
     The problem is, when he sent his reply, it went to just about every reporter on the planet...me included (and no, I was not included on his "important" list.)
     I emailed the aid asking if it was in fact a legitimate email exchange...just to make sure there wasn't a scam underway, but I got no reply.
     You would think that there would be a safeguard on the "reply all" button on email accounts...for once, a message people would be glad to get, asking "Do you really want to send this to everyone?"

[The Monday Morning Media Memo is a regular feature of this blog.]

2 comments:

  1. There is a new feature on GMAIL that allows for you to recall the email for up to 30 seconds after you hit send.

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  2. What I hate is when you hit that send button and in the instant before it goes out, you spot a gross typo in your message that you had somehow missed before - then in the next instant it is out there in cyberspace.

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