older people and email

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,884
32,665
136
Why do many older people in a business setting insist on replying with punctuation that I am somehow supposed to decipher as a concern, query, argument, or emotion?

I don't know what the fuck it means when you reply to my 20 page report with "?????" or "!"
Please attempt to fashion your mental impulses into coherent questions and/or statements like you would in any other medium so you don't fucking waste my time with an endless chain of email to actually figure out what you want. Do you fucking grunt at other people in meetings and expect that to be a understood response ?

I mean seriously, does a bit of punctuation really describe in depth the issue that caused you to reply and enable me to provide any sort of useful response? No, so please keep your goddamn fingers away from the shift key.
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,806
46
91
0/10

i would think someone that is internet savvy would know that ?s means they are confused and !s mean shock or surprise.
 

SmoochyTX

Lifer
Apr 19, 2003
13,618
0
0
Originally posted by: pontifex
0/10

i would think someone that is internet savvy would know that ?s means they are confused and !s mean shock or surprise.

:thumbsup:
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
Originally posted by: pontifex
0/10

i would think someone that is internet savvy would know that ?s means they are confused and !s mean shock or surprise.

Same here. Since it appears to be an issue, I'll translate for you.

?????? = "WTF"

and

! = "OMG"
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,884
32,665
136
Originally posted by: rivan
Originally posted by: pontifex
0/10

i would think someone that is internet savvy would know that ?s means they are confused and !s mean shock or surprise.

Same here. Since it appears to be an issue, I'll translate for you.

?????? = "WTF"

and

! = "OMG"

Yea, in a professional setting as a response to something that can cover a variety of issues those are less than useless.
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
the ones...... who really bug me..... are the ones...... who ..... use...... excessive..... ellipses..... in every sentence.......
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,806
46
91
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: rivan
Originally posted by: pontifex
0/10

i would think someone that is internet savvy would know that ?s means they are confused and !s mean shock or surprise.

Same here. Since it appears to be an issue, I'll translate for you.

?????? = "WTF"

and

! = "OMG"

Yea, in a professional setting as a response to something that can cover a variety of issues those are less than useless.

all right, i'll revise my score. i'll give you a 1/10 because you have a point with it being in a professional environment.
 

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,014
137
106
Originally posted by: Yossarian
the ones...... who really bug me..... are the ones...... who ..... use...... excessive..... ellipses..... in every sentence.......

I can't stand that. And they're always the same people who write in the "wall of text" style. What is the deal? Is their thought process too similar to how Shatner talks?
 

DnetMHZ

Diamond Member
Apr 10, 2001
9,827
1
81
My boss is fond of using the entire message in the subject line message.

Subject: Why have to do XYZ with ABC company, etc ,etc

Body: (blank)
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,255
403
126
Originally posted by: Yossarian
the ones...... who really bug me..... are the ones...... who ..... use...... excessive..... ellipses..... in every sentence.......
Oh god my friend does that all the time in emails and IMs to me. Argh :|. Makes it a bitch sometimes to figure out what the fuck she's talking about.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
Originally posted by: DnetMHZ
My boss is fond of using the entire message in the subject line message.

Subject: Why have to do XYZ with ABC company, etc ,etc

Body: (blank)

I try to have descriptive titles. Usually, I find people are too sparse in titling their emails and that detailed subjects can make it easier to find messages or understand what the message is about.
 

Engraver

Senior member
Jun 5, 2007
812
0
0
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿

Sorry, my monitor fell over.
 

thepd7

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2005
9,429
0
0
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Originally posted by: DnetMHZ
My boss is fond of using the entire message in the subject line message.

Subject: Why have to do XYZ with ABC company, etc ,etc

Body: (blank)

I try to have descriptive titles. Usually, I find people are too sparse in titling their emails and that detailed subjects can make it easier to find messages or understand what the message is about.

Nothin wrong with descriptive titles as long as you put <eom> or something else in the title to let people know they don't have to open it, that the title is the end of the message.
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
My aunt always sends me IMs with "?" as the opening. I have no idea what it means and I always respond with "Hm?"

Originally posted by: Yossarian
the ones...... who really bug me..... are the ones...... who ..... use...... excessive..... ellipses..... in every sentence.......

Uhoh... I tend to use quite a few ellipsis at times. Mostly to express the way I talk in that I tend to pause and think at times or it can also help reflect the mood of a sentence. You know....

 

Daishiki

Golden Member
Nov 9, 2001
1,943
36
91
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Originally posted by: DnetMHZ
My boss is fond of using the entire message in the subject line message.

Subject: Why have to do XYZ with ABC company, etc ,etc

Body: (blank)

I try to have descriptive titles. Usually, I find people are too sparse in titling their emails and that detailed subjects can make it easier to find messages or understand what the message is about.

True, but when the vice president at my last company sent emails with subjects longer than the body most of the time, it gets old really fast.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
30,160
3,300
126
Originally posted by: K1052
Why do many older people in a business setting insist on replying with punctuation that I am somehow supposed to decipher as a concern, query, argument, or emotion?

I don't know what the fuck it means when you reply to my 20 page report with "?????" or "!"
Please attempt to fashion your mental impulses into coherent questions and/or statements like you would in any other medium so you don't fucking waste my time with an endless chain of email to actually figure out what you want. Do you fucking grunt at other people in meetings and expect that to be a understood response ?

I mean seriously, does a bit of punctuation really describe in depth the issue that caused you to reply and enable me to provide any sort of useful response? No, so please keep your goddamn fingers away from the shift key.

stop bitching to us, and reply saying "what's up ws/the stupid puncutation? Do you fucking grunt at other people in meetings and expect that to be a understood response ?"
 

HannibalX

Diamond Member
May 12, 2000
9,361
2
0
Originally posted by: K1052
Why do many older people in a business setting insist on replying with punctuation that I am somehow supposed to decipher as a concern, query, argument, or emotion?

I don't know what the fuck it means when you reply to my 20 page report with "?????" or "!"
Please attempt to fashion your mental impulses into coherent questions and/or statements like you would in any other medium so you don't fucking waste my time with an endless chain of email to actually figure out what you want. Do you fucking grunt at other people in meetings and expect that to be a understood response ?

I mean seriously, does a bit of punctuation really describe in depth the issue that caused you to reply and enable me to provide any sort of useful response? No, so please keep your goddamn fingers away from the shift key.

From my experience this is a problem with stupid people and has nothing to do with age group.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,884
32,665
136
Originally posted by: JEDI
Originally posted by: K1052
Why do many older people in a business setting insist on replying with punctuation that I am somehow supposed to decipher as a concern, query, argument, or emotion?

I don't know what the fuck it means when you reply to my 20 page report with "?????" or "!"
Please attempt to fashion your mental impulses into coherent questions and/or statements like you would in any other medium so you don't fucking waste my time with an endless chain of email to actually figure out what you want. Do you fucking grunt at other people in meetings and expect that to be a understood response ?

I mean seriously, does a bit of punctuation really describe in depth the issue that caused you to reply and enable me to provide any sort of useful response? No, so please keep your goddamn fingers away from the shift key.

stop bitching to us, and reply saying "what's up ws/the stupid puncutation? Do you fucking grunt at other people in meetings and expect that to be a understood response ?"

I've tried returning punctuation only as an answer. Oddly I got criticized for not being clear enough in my communications.