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Reply to all

It’s evil.

In the work environment, petty squabbles snowball to become all-out battles of words, people finding ever more polite ways to tell each other to fuck off, and all for the benefit of an ever-growing list of recipients, people who really need to read this. It’s either copy them in now, or send it to them later with an ‘FYI’ at the top… ‘can you believe what they said? Mm? No. Me neither’. A pause between each new message addressed to all and sundry, a haitus between each new response. It’s like listening to an argument at a Quakers meeting.

In your personal life, reply to all is all about the banter. Someone wants to organise a party / night out / dinner / weekend in Blackpool. They e-mail everyone they have ever met, including a really confused Dutch guy they got drunk with in Bangkok four years ago. Someone hits ‘reply to all’ with a witty retort, because when you’re all on the same mailing list, well, you’re all friends aren’t you? No. Few people know each other, the ones that do phone each other, and the Dutch guy spends the next five years even more confused as to why he keeps getting sent viruses by a hairdresser from Bracknell he has never met.

So. Ban the ‘reply to all’ button.

What else would I like to ban today?

  • The guy outside Brixton Tube in the mornings shouting ‘Metro Metro Metro!’ as if he’s feeding pigs.
  • The sight of Jade Goody in tears. For pity’s sake. It’s like a sea lion with conjunctivitis.
  • Waking up and feeling more tired than when you went to bed.
  • January.

I like lists.

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7 Responses

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  1. JC says

    The email golden rule.

    Never ‘reply to all’ you’re not as funny as you think you are.

  2. Nathan says

    Also be extremely careful about using ‘LOL’ as it can get quite irritating lol

  3. Adrianne says

    I vote on a ban of LOL entirely. Emoticons need to be left out of all communication for the rest of time.

  4. Nathan says

    LOL, ROTFL and, ug, LMFAO.

    All are out.

  5. Margaret says

    What do ROTFL and LMFAO mean?

  6. Nathan says

    ROTFL – Rolling On The Floor Laughing.

    LMFAO – Laughing My F**king Ass Off.

    I rest my case.

  7. Jenny says

    Ok, yes, I agree with all of the above and apologise now for any sins I have committed using stupid emotions and all that.

    I’d like to ban – well, it’s actually a curfew I’m after. Incredibly stupid and uncoordinated people should only be allowed on the pavements between – let’s say, eleven in the morning and midday. Then I won’t have to put up with them trying to make me go on the road side of the pavement, trying to push my wheelchair without asking, and generally getting in my bloody way.

    But, to counter the stress of thinking about that, I am now going to think about…chocolate biscuits.

    And I’m going to eat one. Put the kettle on, someone.



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