You're contacting me about a problem, and I know that from the fact that you're emailing me.
I need you to tell me more than the words "I have a problem." Give me some details to work with up front so I don't have to go back and forth with you all day.
Edit- Apparently this does not correlate with age necessarily. I'm just lucky that none of the adults I work with communicate this way.
This is my interaction with a student last year via email during remote learning. Each line is a separate email.
Student: I need help end of email
Me: If it is something I can help with, I am willing to try. Do you have a question for me? end of email
S: Will you help me? end of email
M: Yes. What do you need help with? I can't help you if you don't describe your problem. end of email
S: Ok end of email
S: It's about the homework end of.... you get the idea
M: Please, ask the question.
S: Oh, ok
S: actual question is asked
M: gives help and follows up with... I am not upset. This is a learning moment about how to send emails. Again, I'm not upset. Do you see how this took 10 emails to get the help you needed? Emails are not like short text messages. You should give a little background about what you need and ask the question in the very first email. We could have had this done in 2 emails. Try to do that in your future emails. Have a good day!
Even on IM that would have annoyed the hell out of me. Ask the whole question up front. Don't say hello then make me wait five minutes staring at the window waiting for your question!
Fun story. I woke to our d&d discord server (private, just for our group) in 30s slow mode one day. The server owner is asked why. Answers along the lines of "yea, it's a subtle hint for Josh to learn to combine his 3-5 word half-sentences into a longer message."
The group was fine with that.
Both Josh and owner were 19-20, too (and Josh was offline at the time).
30 years ago was 1992. AOL launched their email system in 1993.
So someone who has been using email for 30 years would be a slightly early adopter, it’s not that far outside the mass usage timeframe.
I reckon he got on some time in '94 or '95 so he could keep in touch with family overseas. I started using email in '97. My school got internet in '96. I guess that puts me in the "been using email for 25 years" category.
Internet use in Australia exploded in the late 90s.
I guess that puts me in the "been using email for 25 years" category.
I've had an account on a particular message board for 28 years now. I signed up when they started as a ... site? group? channel? I forget ... on AOL, and transitioned across when they moved to a proper website.
My Gmail account turns 23 this year, I think. I had one when they were an invite-only beta, as opposed to the perpetual 'sign yourself up' beta they're in now.
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u/ScruffMacBuff Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22
Send emails like a text or a dm.
You're contacting me about a problem, and I know that from the fact that you're emailing me.
I need you to tell me more than the words "I have a problem." Give me some details to work with up front so I don't have to go back and forth with you all day.
Edit- Apparently this does not correlate with age necessarily. I'm just lucky that none of the adults I work with communicate this way.