View Full Version : Email etiquette question
oliegirl
02-22-2006, 07:52 PM
OK, radii and I were both copied on an email from the Cub Scout Pack Leader this morning regarding a change in this month's meeting. He increased the font size to 18 pt and made it blue. I didn't think anything about it, but radii commented on it. This evening over dinner it came up again and he said that it was "poor form" to send an email in a large font like that. I asked why and he said it was basic email etiquette. I said I'd heard of the no caps rule, keeping your signatures to a minimum length, avoiding attachments if possible, etc...but never anything about font size. So the question I have is this, is this a well known rule of email etiquette that I just have not heard of, or is it a "genre" thing? The emails I receive are mainly from PTA people, Rec League Soccer, Cub Scouts, etc...where as his are work related or from people who work in the computer industry. Would you be offended, or even notice if someone sent you an email in a larger font than usual?
Disclaimer: I asked radii if it was OK to post this here and he said it was fine :)
Lorena
02-22-2006, 07:55 PM
Using big font is like yelling! Very unprofessional.
Rizon
02-22-2006, 07:56 PM
Anyone male and over 16 uses black and standard font size. Everyone else just overpays for AOL.
st.cronin
02-22-2006, 07:57 PM
No caps? I don't get emails like that. If I did, I would assume the sender didn't care enough about me to take the message seriously.
DaddyTorgo
02-22-2006, 08:00 PM
i think we need clarification. was the font size and color changed through the whole thing, or just on the first line to get your attention? the former is a no-go, the latter is acceptable in a non-professional setting
MEETING TIME HAS CHANGED!
oliegirl
02-22-2006, 08:01 PM
i think we need clarification. was the font size and color changed through the whole thing, or just on the first line to get your attention? the former is a no-go, the latter is acceptable in a non-professional setting
MEETING TIME HAS CHANGED!
It was the entire email...
DaddyTorgo
02-22-2006, 08:04 PM
It was the entire email...well that's ABSURD. are we sure that it wasn't one of their kids that wrote it? Cuz that's very much a kid-thing to do. Wow.
jeff061
02-22-2006, 08:10 PM
Annoying to read and no reason to do it. I'd consider it poor form as well.
bosshogg23
02-22-2006, 08:25 PM
Gotta agree with Radii. I would probably reply in rainbow colors, font size 36.
JonInMiddleGA
02-22-2006, 08:27 PM
What Torgo said.
Desnudo
02-22-2006, 08:27 PM
I would leave him. No sports team is more valuable than a woman.
Glengoyne
02-22-2006, 08:42 PM
Gotta agree with Radii. I would probably reply in rainbow colors, font size 36.Boss Hogg is all over this one. He'd most likely get your point.
Cap Ologist
02-22-2006, 09:01 PM
Gotta agree with Radii. I would probably reply in rainbow colors, font size 36.
I agree with my fellow Omerta gangsters.
Toddzilla
02-22-2006, 09:08 PM
No - reply with red letters on a blue background - impossible for the human eye to focus on both colors at once. And make it blink. Fast.
Schmidty
02-22-2006, 09:09 PM
I think Radii, and a lot of you others, need to lighten the hell up. Of all things to complain about, this is at the bottom of the list.
Toddzilla
02-22-2006, 09:10 PM
Reply in Wingdings
/suggestion from the wife
sabotai
02-22-2006, 09:11 PM
Anyone male and over 16 uses black and standard font size. Everyone else just overpays for AOL.You complete me!
Eaglesfan27
02-22-2006, 09:31 PM
keeping your signatures to a minimum length
Really? I wish someone would tell academic people this. Some of the emails I get, the signature is 5 times as big as the message.
Passacaglia
02-22-2006, 10:30 PM
Was it an email meant to read more like a flyer?
Neuqua
02-22-2006, 10:34 PM
I think Radii, and a lot of you others, need to lighten the hell up. Of all things to complain about, this is at the bottom of the list.
Schmidty telling someone to to quit bitching?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
BrianD
02-22-2006, 10:37 PM
Personally I think all HTML in an email is bad form. There should be no colors, no different fonts, and idealy should use a fixed-width font. It is so much easier to read.
sterlingice
02-23-2006, 02:07 AM
Gee... I think we need Loren to weigh in on this
SI
sterlingice
02-23-2006, 02:08 AM
Personally I think all HTML in an email is bad form. There should be no colors, no different fonts, and idealy should use a fixed-width font. It is so much easier to read.Not only that, but there are still people in the dark ages who use text based stuff. Unfortunately, on the fixed-width font, almost every single one is ugly as sin.
SI
sovereignstar
02-23-2006, 02:15 AM
Of all things to complain about, this is at the bottom of the list.
1. Guys with those pencil-thin "beards" that run down their jawlines
2. People that chuck their cigarettes out of the car window while I'm driving right behind them.
3. Waitstaff at restaurants who kneel down to eye level when they take your order.
4. People who stand in groups in aisles at the mall and in stores.
5. People who block an intersection so that you aren't able to turn left when your light turns green.
.
.....
.
666. People that use a larger than normal font in their e-mails.
Schmidty
02-23-2006, 02:31 AM
1. Guys with those pencil-thin "beards" that run down their jawlines
2. People that chuck their cigarettes out of the car window while I'm driving right behind them.
3. Waitstaff at restaurants who kneel down to eye level when they take your order.
4. People who stand in groups in aisles at the mall and in stores.
5. People who block an intersection so that you aren't able to turn left when your light turns green.
.
.....
.
666. People that use a larger than normal font in their e-mails.
I am the king of irritation, and I have gotten lazy. I should be ashamed.
I am inspired to start bitching again. Thank you Sov.
sterlingice
02-23-2006, 02:47 AM
I am the king of irritation, and I have gotten lazy. I should be ashamed.
I am inspired to start bitching again. Thank you Sov.Think of it as the "safe outlet" which is exempt from the nicer, happier Schmidty :D
SI
Coder
02-23-2006, 02:49 AM
1. Guys with those pencil-thin "beards" that run down their jawlines
2. People that chuck their cigarettes out of the car window while I'm driving right behind them.
3. Waitstaff at restaurants who kneel down to eye level when they take your order.
4. People who stand in groups in aisles at the mall and in stores.
5. People who block an intersection so that you aren't able to turn left when your light turns green.
.
.....
.
666. People that use a larger than normal font in their e-mails.
Your number 5 easily slides up to number 1 for me..
But emails using Comic Sans at 16pt throughout is incredibly annoying and I don't even read them. Go bye bye!
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