Posted on by Toren

Netiquette?

Anghold brought up an interesting point tonight that I hadn’t given too much thought to. When you get an email, and you’re just one of many who got the email, do you hit REPLY or do you hit REPLY ALL? In this case let’s assume that the original email is an invitation to a party. What are your reasons for how you reply?

8 Replies to “Netiquette?”

  1. I know exactly why this came up. I hit reply all because it’s related to the party. I don’t see what the big deal is.

  2. I choose one or the other depending on if everyone needs to know. If it’s an RSVP, then only the original sender requires my information, and giving it to everyone else only annoys them.

  3. why in the world would you press ‘reply all’ if it is an invitation to a party? to me it is both bad netiquette and it is egotistical. do people you don’t know want to hear conversations about the party that really involve only you and your clique of friends? are people going to make their decision as to whether they are going to attend the party based on what *you* reply to the group? the only person that needs to hear back from you, as a general rule, is the party host/ess.
    i made comment about this issue to you because it is often via you that i end up waking up to 15 messages in my email box – many from people that i don’t know – or that i don’t really talk to online – talking about subjects that have little to do with what the original email was about. as i said in our private conversation about this… you are not my only friend that is addicted to the ‘reply all’ button.
    alls i really expect is that my friends realize that *i* find it annoying and rude. they can go ahead and use their own judgement.
    in the future, i always have the option of seperately emailing those of my friends that are indiscrimintate about using the ‘reply all’ button.
    and there you go.

  4. I guess it’s a condition of being a gaming nerd for so long that I get annoyed when other people in the group DON’T hit reply all, because then myself and others are left wondering whether they got the email and whether they’re coming. But of course that relates to an event where everyone – or at least majority – is expected to show otherwise quorum is not met and the whole deal falls through. But still, when there’s an invite to a party, I’m curious to hear back from others about what to expect – whether they’re coming, who and what they’re bringing with, whether or not they might be driving past my location, when they’re showing up and how late they can stay. Information is power, and I’m a power-hungry bastard. I just would prefer being kept in the loop rather than out of it.

  5. i hit reply first, but i thought (when i got reply-alls) that there was a conversation going on… and that that’s what geeks do. i’m still learning. i would have said sorry to everyone that got the reply-alls from me, that didn’t want them, but i didn’t want to risk sending them another email. i think it’s okay, to send, when it’s a party and we’re talking about things we want to do, and that should be decided as a group… or if discussion arises. but i also think it’s okay to say: take me off your list… or don’t include my name with those crazy-reply all people. i have junk mail, and forwards. but sometimes, like toren said, it’s good to be in the loop. how would i have been able to be schooled by three people about TMNT otherwise?

  6. the tendancy is that these ‘reply all’ things have little to do with ‘information’. it tends to quickly degenerate into very low level conversation that is not relevant nor information-filled for many of the recipients. and as you (toren) realized regarding my party tonight – in order to scam yourself a ride – you had to go ahead and contact people one on one (be that by email or by phone). if i had thrown a potluck and asked people to let the group know what to bring – that would have been one thing. in the last few months i have recieved several complaints from friends – asking me who all ‘these people’ were who were sending them a bunch of chitter-chatter. if the ‘reply alls’ had been useful information that was keeping people in the loop – i doubt that people would be asking me to be taken off the ‘reply all’ list.
    again, i intended for this conversation to just be between you and i. seeing that you decided to blog about it, i feel the need to continue to state my case. and seeing that you will not likely change your ‘reply all’ M.O., i will just email you seperately when i send out invitations.

  7. and in response to marlo… i really don’t think that the ‘reply all’ thing *is* that big of a deal, but it adds up. if there are a bunch of people that you don’t know and who have not chosen to be part of a discussion on the list – then i think extra consideration is warranted.

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