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Secretaries Sacked After Flamewar at Work

ross.w writes "Two legal secretaries in Sydney have been sacked after a flamewar over a ham sandwich got circulated throughout the cities financial district. The insults about figures, boyfriends and jobs flew thick and fast and ultimately resulted in the dismissal of both of them for mis-use of the email system."

51 of 644 comments (clear)

  1. Hearsay by fembots · · Score: 5, Funny

    The spokesman said he still did not know whether or not Ms Nugent's lunch was stolen.

    Rumor has it that Nugent's lunch was stolen by her ex-boyfriend who is now with Bird.

    Warning: Do not pass this on.

    Regardless, the person who forwarded these emails to external parties should be fired because company emails shouldn't be forwarded to unintended recipients without original author's consent.

    1. Re:Hearsay by Nan0c · · Score: 4, Informative

      All bad really however you look at it. Link to email extract http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,2028 1,16522876-5001022,00.html

  2. Ouch by boola-boola · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's exactly why you use personal email for personal things...

    1. Re:Ouch by mr_tenor · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Maybe that's what the guy in the article who said "Email is a business tool, not a personal messaging system" meant, but that particular sentence is totally false. Email is a set of network protocols that can be used for whatever. What is acceptable usage needs to be explicitly defined in company policy.

    2. Re:Ouch by John+Seminal · · Score: 4, Funny
      That's exactly why you use personal email for personal things...

      I agree!

      Now flame me if you must, but what happened to the good old days when the secretary was there to bring the boss a cup of coffee, and take his dry cleaning to the chinese place? You know... two wongs can make it white.

      Work is not the place for women to be women. Work is the place for women to kiss ass.

      Having said that, if I owned an internet porn company, I would try and hire the two of them for some hot firey angry lesbian action. Give them both a whiffle ball bat, tell them there are no rules- hit as hard as you can. because the looser is getting the wiffle ball bat in her ass. Give the winner $1000 and pay their rent for a month while they find a new job. Pay the loser nothing and put her picture on a billboard with the wiffleball bat hanging out her snatch.

      Welcome to corporate warfare.

      --

      Rosco: "If brains were gunpowder, Enos couldn't blow his nose."

    3. Re:Ouch by MooseByte · · Score: 4, Funny

      "That's exactly why you use personal email for personal things..."

      Though sometimes the upfront and personal approach is best. For example:

      "Well, I gotta tell you - I'd be very, very careful who you talk to about that, because the person who stole that sandwich... is dangerous. And this button-down, Oxford-cloth psycho might just snap and then stalk from office to office with an Armilite AR-10 carbine gas-powered semiautomatic weapon: pumping round after round into colleagues and coworkers. This might be someone you've known for years . . . someone very, very close to you."

    4. Re:Ouch by pyrrhonist · · Score: 5, Funny
      I would try and hire the two of them for some hot firey angry lesbian action. Give them both a whiffle ball bat, tell them there are no rules- hit as hard as you can. because the looser is getting the wiffle ball bat in her ass.

      I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter...

      --
      Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
    5. Re:Ouch by randyest · · Score: 5, Funny

      Please let this (bad) joke die. You didn't even do it right, not that it would have been funny either way.

      Preemptive strike (please don't add any missing ones):

      But do they run linux email clients?
      Imagine a Beowulf cluster of those
      1. Flame co-worker via email
      2. ???
      3. Profit!

      I don't have email access you insensitive clod!
      I, for one, welcome our new email-flaming overlords.
      Rude emails at work? Won't somebody think of the children?!
      Well, in my day we used real flamethrowers to flame each other, and we liked it that way!
      Ecpecting a dupe post in 5, 4, 3, . . .
      Netcraft confirms, email flaming is dead . . .
      All your jobs are belong to email flamewar.
      George Bush is responsible somehow.
      I have email flamewars at work all the time and there's never been a prob%^%@13#^$3@#$*^&^NO CARRIER

      --
      everything in moderation
    6. Re:Ouch by randyest · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Did you read the actual emails or just the summary? They sound like nasty little harpies who probably annoyed half the staff.

      Sometimes management (and staff) is just waiting for the office bitches (male or female) to violate a policy so they can fire the annoying bickerers.

      Or it could be overreaction, but I have a hard time believing a really valuable employee who is otherwise well-liked, hard-working, and useful would get fired for this.

      --
      everything in moderation
    7. Re:Ouch by FireBreathingDog · · Score: 4, Funny
      George Bush is responsible somehow.

      But don't you see? Bush is responsible. This sort of thing didn't happen when Hillary Clinton was president!

    8. Re:Ouch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      because the looser is getting the wiffle ball bat in her ass

      best misspelling of loser ever!

    9. Re:Ouch by GNU(slash)Nickname · · Score: 5, Funny
      because the looser is getting the wiffle ball bat in her ass.

      I'm sure the tighter will be grateful you said that.

    10. Re:Ouch by child_of_mercy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Allens are a big 5 law firm in Australia, they are so far up themselves they can see their own tonsils (and I used to work for a different big fiver).

      Having said that this won't stand up a minute in an industrial court unless there is a long and documented history of abuse and counselling.

      So they'll either get a huge payout or be back real soon.

      Everyone's a winner except the precious partners of the firm and they won't notice the spare change.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    11. Re:Ouch by Spock+the+Baptist · · Score: 4, Funny

      E-mail is a tool of repression wield by self-perpetuating yankee running dog autocrats to repress proletariat peasants. The yankee running dogs have propagandized you into believing that we're an autonomous anarcho-syndicalist collective. Outdated imperialist dogma has perpetuated the social and economic differences of the proletariat and conceal that we're living in a dictatorship.

      Wait...

      Ooooh! Dennis! There's some lovely filth down here ...

      --
      "Oh drat these computers, they're so naughty and so complex, I could pinch them." --Marvin the Martian
  3. Amazing by dtfinch · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That must have been quite a flame war to be reported on dozens of news sites and finally Slashdot. I hope nobody was killed over it.

    Though they were fired over email, I doubt this is material worthy of the "Your Rights Online" section. They were both in the same office, cursing each other during work hours, except via email rather than verbally. Then they forwarded the emails to the rest of the office to get everyone involved, rather than working like their supposed to.

    1. Re:Amazing by PsychicX · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just thank god it wasn't an emacs sandwich with vim in between. The fires would burn until the end of time *shudder*.

    2. Re:Amazing by kngthdn · · Score: 5, Informative

      I agree, this is pretty stupid. The whole exchange of emails is here:

      http://radar.smh.com.au/archives/2005/09/cutting_a _lawye.html

  4. From TA by Sheetrock · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Email is a business tool, not a personal messaging system - the use of it in this case was not in any way acceptable, nor is that the way we expect people to treat their work colleagues

    Maybe the economy would be a little better if businesses would focus on business instead of finding new and interesting ways of scanning and banning personal Internet use (or a dozen other irrelevant employee-control functions that cost money and time without producing product...)

    --

    Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
    -- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.




  5. OMGLOL by BlackMesaLabs · · Score: 5, Funny

    BANNED!!! OLOLO

  6. All I want to know is... by s7726 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are either of them hot, or possibly both of them?

    That would make my day (night)

    1. Re:All I want to know is... by julien59 · · Score: 5, Informative
  7. Sorry. by jaromanda · · Score: 5, Funny

    While cleaning the nineteenth floor, I noticed the fridge had been left open. Naturally I threw out all the spoiled contents. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble.

  8. Stuff like this... by ShatteredDream · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Really reinforces why my girlfriend and the other women in my life prefer a male-dominated office to a female-dominated office. Hell, my mom won't work for another woman again unless either she knows her well or hell freezes over thanks to the last time...

  9. Aight by ReformedExCon · · Score: 5, Funny

    I put on my robe and wizard hat.

    --
    Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
  10. Lack of social skills by Neo-Rio-101 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I used to work with two Japanese coworkers who had an email spat. They sat next to each other, but one day they had a heated debate. After that finished, they stopped all verbal communication and started sending nasty emails to each other... despite sitting only a meter apart.

    --
    READY.
    PRINT ""+-0
    1. Re:Lack of social skills by tktk · · Score: 5, Funny
      That's nothing...try a married couple sending angry IM's at each other while in their apartment.

      The worse part was that the husband told me about it over IM during their fight. And the wife got even more pissed since she heard him typing...but not to her. I heard later that their argument basically started all over again because of the extra IM to me.

      Obviously a geek couple.

    2. Re:Lack of social skills by mcrbids · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's nothing...try a married couple sending angry IM's at each other while in their apartment.

      My wife and I have been together for > 10 years. A long time. But there have been a few times where we were so enraged with each other, that verbal communication broke down.

      In these very few cases, it has helped tremendously to be able to write out all our thoughts out and send them via e-mail back and forth. The somewhat impersonal touch afforded by email lets tempers cool, and lets the shouting-match argument fall back into being a reasonable debate.

      I remember twice this happening - once when my wife was upstairs and me downstairs on the porch, and another time we were in the same room, and were openly polite to each other, both agreeing not to talk about it until we both agreed we were ready to, stepping in and out of the seat where the computer was in our bedroom.

      It was really quite effective!

      --
      I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
  11. Slashdot by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    News from Fark. Stuff that doesn't matter.

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  12. her name is katrina by Madd+Scientist · · Score: 5, Funny

    does anyone else realize that the only reason this is news is because some schmoe was searching online for "katrina" and came across this pointless story?

  13. Re:Copy of the e-mails? by randyest · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's hugely disappointing and unfunny. The sandwich looks pretty good though, better than the chicks (warning: catfight fantasy spoiler link.)

    --
    everything in moderation
  14. Re:Incidentely by fucksl4shd0t · · Score: 5, Funny
    They were both obviously fired because they were both so completely incompetent they couldn't even conduct a proper flame war.

    Now, if I was in this flame war (and if I was a woman), it would read more like this:

    Me: You stupid bitch, I ate your sandwich. I thought it would save a few pounds off your fat ass and I hadn't eaten in two days.

    Her: At least I'm not blonde!

    Me: Your pussy hairs don't lie you little slut.

    Her: What?!

    Me: That's right. I got pictures. When my dog was licking you in your "sweet spot", and your pussy hairs are blonde alright!

    Her: Well, at least I have one!

    Me: One what? One brain cell? One ovary? One tit? You're so fat...blahblah

    Get the idea?

    I don't know what's worse, being incompetent, or getting fired over a lame flame war.

    --
    Like what I said? You might like my music
  15. What a stupid thing! by mrchaotica · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not only is that the lamest, most pitiful flamewar I've ever seen, but shouldn't legal secretaries, of all people, use good grammar?! Even people on Slashdot are more literate!

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    1. Re:What a stupid thing! by GrahamCox · · Score: 5, Funny

      Even people on Slashdot are more literate

      No they're not. Let's not get carried away... ;-)

    2. Re:What a stupid thing! by lawpoop · · Score: 4, Funny
      Forget grammar, what about common internet abbreviations?

      " Melinda Bird: Oh my God I'm laughing! "

      Melinda Bird: OMG LOL!

      --
      Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
      -- Pablo Picasso
    3. Re:What a stupid thing! by GuavaBerry · · Score: 4, Funny
      To make even more sense of it, run it through everyone's favorite AOLer translation script:



      KATRINA NUG3NT
      YESTERDAY I PUT MAH LUNCH IN TEH FRIDGA ON LAVEL 19 WHICH INCLUD3D A PAKAT OF HM SOME CHESE SLIECS AND TWO SLIECS OF BR3AD WHICH WAS GONG 2 B FOR MAH LUNCH 2DAY
      OVER1!111 OMG NIGHT IT HAS GONA MISNG AND AS I HAEV NO R MONEY 2 BUY ANOTHER LUNCH 2DAY I WUD APRECIAET BNG REIMBURSED FOR IT

      M3LINDA1!!1 OMG WTF LOL BIRD
      KATRINA THEYRE R IETMS FITNG UR 3XACT DESCRIPTION IN TEH L3VEL 20 FRIDG3!!11 OMG WTF LOL R U SUR3 U DIDNT PLAEC UR LUNCH IN TEH WRONG FRIDG3 YEST3RDAY

      KATRINA?!?!!??? OMG WTF LOL NUG3NT
      MELINDA PROBABLY BST U DONT REPLY 2 AL NEXT TIEM WUD B ANOYED 2 TEH DA!1!!! WTF KITCHEN WAS NOT DONG DIN3R LAST NIGHT SO OBVIOUSLY SOMAONE HAS HELP3D THEMSELVES 2 MAH LUNCH1!!1 OMG LOL RILLY SWET OF U 2 INV3STIGAET FOR MA

      M3LINDA!!1!1 LOL BIRD
      KATRINA SINCA I US3D 2 B A FLOAT AND M STIL ON DA LEVEL 19 3MALE LIST I CUDNT HELP BUT RAC3IEV UR R3DICULOUS EMALE - LUKY U!!!111! WTF LOL USA OUR KITCHAN AL DA TIEM FOR SOM3 UNKNOWN RAASON AND I SAW TEH IETMS U MENTION3D IN TEH FRIDG3 SO NATURALY THOUGHT U MAY HAEV PLAECD THEM IN TEH WRONG THX111111 LOL I KNOW IMM SWET BUT I ONLY HAD UR BST INTAR3STS AT HEART1111! OMG NOW AS U WUD SAY BYE

      KATRINA1!11! WTF LOL NUGANT
      IMM NOT BLONDE!

      MELINDA!1!11!!!!1!!!1!!!!! OMG WTF LOL BIRD
      BNG A BRUNETA DOASNT MEAN UR SMART THOUGH

      KATRINA1!!1! OMG NUGENT
      I D3FINIETLY WUDNT TRAED PLAECS WIT U FOR DA WORLD

      MELINDA!!11!1 OMG WTF BIRD
      I WUDNT TRAED PLAECS WIT U FOR DA WORLD.I1!!111!111!!! LOL DONT WANT UR FIGUR3

      KATRINA111!!1!! WTF NUGENT
      LETS NOT GAT PERSON (SIC) MIS CANT KEP A BOYFREIND
      IM IN A HAPY RELATIONSHIP HAEV A BAUTIFUL APARTMANT BRAND NU CAR HIGH PAY JOB.SAY11!!!11!1!!11111111 LOL NO MORA!

      MELINDA!1!111!!!1 WTF OMG IMM LAUGHNG!1!11 LOL HAPY RALATIONSHIP U HAEV BEN WIT SO MANY GUYS) BAUTIFUL APARTMENT (SO WUT BRAND NU R (M3 2) HIGH PAY JOB (I EARN MOR3)..SAY!!111!!!!11!1!!1!!1!!1!! WTF PL3NTY MORE..
      I11111!!111!!1!11!111!!1!!1!111 LOL HAEV 5 GUYS AT TEH MOMANT
      HAHA!11!!! WTF
  16. Re:You forgot! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, dead horse beats YOU!

  17. External Parties (Why wasn't I invited?) by rakslice · · Score: 4, Funny

    >Regardless, the person who forwarded these emails to external parties should be fired because company emails shouldn't be forwarded to unintended recipients without original author's consent.

    Why? Was that in the company's acceptable use policy (AUP)? NO?

    Many companies have yet to effectively leverage the online employee comportment solutions that are available in the idea marketplace. In the online world, synergies for mitigation of "water cooler" discussions can be harnessed LIKE NEVER BEFORE!

    Does your company's AUP need dusting off? Is the disused lavatory that houses the locked Employee Manual filing cabinet just not recieving the foot traffic it deserves because the door is missing its 'Beware of the Leopard' sign? ACT NOW!

    Check out some of the quality AUP elements that are at work on my own personal mailbox sender storage space use policy:

    - Senders must grant unlimited reproduction, modification, and distrubution of their message contents

    - Senders agree to have all AUP-related feedback handled by the on-line erectile disfunction medication retailer that I've received the most spam from this week (currently instant-pharmacy.net, in case you're interested)

    Remember: It's quality outsourcing possibilities like these that let me keep my service levels up! Imagine how dissappointed I would be if my customer service workload made me LOSE OUT on the EXCELLENT FREE KARMA available by forwarding little Johnny's request for postcards out to 20 of my BESTEST FRIENDS (who judging by my inbox contents are all direct e-mail marketers)! Now that would just be plain sad.

    (Apologies to the late Mr. Adams for blatant fair use of the leopard bit.)

    -aT

    1. Re:External Parties (Why wasn't I invited?) by timmarhy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Regardless, the person who forwarded these emails to external parties should be fired because company emails shouldn't be forwarded to unintended recipients without original author's consent." i don't believe those tags on emails cut the legal mustard anyway, since you have no opertunity to view said contract before accepting the email. quite frankly, if you send me an email, then i'll do what i want with it and anyone who doesn't like it can fuck off and not send it in the first place

      --
      If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
    2. Re:External Parties (Why wasn't I invited?) by Rich0 · · Score: 5, Informative

      They probably say that email is not to be used for non-work related purposes (Every place Ive worked at has had that one) but as a law firm, I'd imagine they'd need a strict policy about internal correspondance leaving the firms internal network.

      Even such a clause can be hard to enforce legally if the defence can show that it is not enforced uniformly. That is the danger of broad contract clause. If the defence can show that EVERYBODY violates the contract, then the courts will question the wisdom of enforcing it in any particular case.

      For example, if the windows EULA contained a restriction that said that if you mow your own lawn you agree to give Bill Gates the title to your home, that is technically an agreement to avoid a particular activity. If MS then slectively went after windows copyright violators using this clause it would be likely to be found unenforceable, since it is being used selectively.

      The fact is that most companies do in fact tolerate personal use of email despite wording to the contrary in the AUP. If the defence can show that many others send personal emails, and that their managers are aware of this activity, then the court may be likely to question why they are being singled out. Otherwise a company who wants to get rid of all its over-40 employees could just do an audit and fire just these employees for sending personal emails.

      Many companies as a result have AUPs that specifically allow personal use of email within certain bounds. A court is more likely to uphold such an AUP if the bounds sound reasonable and has in fact been violated (such as running a personal business on company time, or sending bulk mail or many large emails, or excessive use of company time). Additionally, if an employee is excessively using time at work for personal business it is likely that their performance will suffer and that is clearly cause for termination.

  18. Re:Incidentely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    then, where did the whole "I'm not blonde" thing come from?

    Brunette182: Wher my samich U theving asshats?
    Blondie69: dood you left it on 20 floor Yur stupid
    Brunette182: F U! Ur teh stupid blonde here!
    Blondie69: Your ugle
    Brunette182: Im teh coolist.
    Blondie69: Ur jelous of my coolnees
    Brunette182: Wahtever

  19. not so bad for a bloke... by weighn · · Score: 4, Insightful
    My 1st long term employment was one of 3 men amongst about 50 women in a Library and (possibly because I was only 19 at the time) it was fantastic!

    Now, 15 years older, I find myself in a male only IT dept and long for: 1. that old work envrionment, 2. the knowledge of the "fairer-sex" that I have gained in the 15 years since, and 3. To be 19 again!

    --
    Mongrel News all the news that fits and froths
  20. Re:guns illegal in Australia by drsmithy · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Exactly why we banned guns in Australia.

    Guns aren't "banned" in Australia. They're merely not as easy to get as they are in some other countries - and it's highly doubtful the knee-jerk response to Port Arthur has made this country any safer.

    Some of the problems in America could not happen in Australia as a result. (Oops probably a flamewar in the making)

    They're probably less likely to happen - but it's got nothing to do with guns and everything to do with culture and society. The plethora of examples of countries with high gun ownership rates and low[er] gun crime rates (and vice versa) demonstrate quite plainly that it's got nothing to do with guns, and everything to do with people. As was handily demonstrated by the recent anarchy and violence after Katrina hit.

    America is simply a violent culture. If they weren't shooting each other, they'd be stabbing and bludgeoning each other. The problem isn't mechanical, it's social (just to keep those flames burning)...

  21. Re:In A.D. 2005 by Norfair · · Score: 4, Funny
    (Flame)war was beginning.

    Brunette: What happen?

    Blonde: We get signal.

    Brunette: What !

    Blonde: Microsoft Outlook turn on.

    Brunette: It's You !!

    Boss: How are you women !!

    Boss: All your jobs are belong to us.

    Boss: You are on the way to destruction.

    Brunette: What you say !!

    Boss: You have no chance to survive make your office empty.

    Boss: HA HA HA HA ....

    Brunette: Take off every 'email' !!

    Brunette: You know what you doing.

    Brunette: Move 'email'.

    Brunette: For great justice.

    (Okay, I could have done better, don't mod me down for rushing :) and thanks for formatting the last one so nicely, Slashdot)

  22. A more detailed pic by colonic · · Score: 5, Funny

    This pic is less blurry.

  23. Re:guns illegal in Australia by TapeCutter · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Guns aren't "banned" in Australia. They're merely not as easy to get as they are in some other countries"

    Since you are from Oz I am probably not telling you anything you don't know already, but the truth is alot of firearms available in the US are "banned" over here. The gun in the GP post's quote, (from Fight Club IIRC), would be illegal and near impossible to obtain. Most people only have access to registered single shot rifles and "snap-load" shotguns, pistols must be kept in a secure armory at a registered gun club. Semi-auto rifles are a big no-no, getting caught with a machine-gun will give you your 15 minutes of fame in the media.

    A few studies have been published showing the laws have made a slight improvement in the rate of shooting deaths but it's harder than you think to measure. Common-sense says a nut can no longer go hunting humans on a whim, the nuts now have to plan ahead, not to mention the extreme difficulty in finding the firearms and ammo on our island continent. Making it difficult for a nut to shoot multiple people in a short space of time is what the Port Aurthur laws were designed to accomplish and I think they have worked well.

    "America is simply a violent culture. If they weren't shooting each other, they'd be stabbing and bludgeoning each other. The problem isn't mechanical, it's social"

    I have to agree that gun control is largely a cultural thing, but not all of it. Mechanics can play a significant part in some common senarios. For example, statistically (in the US) shootings are roughly 5X more lethal than stabbings so more "heat of the moment" events (including suicide) end in death when there is a loaded gun in the top draw of the dresser. Those who survive a gun shot wound are 20X more likely to be permenantly disabled in some way compared to a stabbing victim. (Ref: old Scientific American magazine on my bookshelf).

    I have lived in Oz for 40+ years and I think the Gun laws have kept pace with our culture over that time. I am usually the last to praise politicians but I think our Government has done a pretty good job at finding sensible bi-partisan compromises over the years. I can't walk into k-mart and buy ammo anymore but I can still go and shoot rabbits if I want to. I have nothing against responsible hunting and target sports, personally I just don't feel the young man's urge to blow furry things apart anymore, even if they are a tasty pest for the dog.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  24. Unfair? by beforewisdom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The secretaries were in the wrong, they got fired.

    However, other people in the company, lawyers, were the ones who passed the email exchange onto people outside of the firm.

    If you ask me they have equal responsibility in embarrassing the company and should get an equal penalty.

    If they haven't my guess would be because they are more valuable to the company or the company is like most in being cowardly and does not want to risk firing lawyers.

    These guys ( in addition to the secretarys ) should be ashamed of themselves.

  25. Oh, the horror of Outlook Express by DF5JT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whatever happened to a sane style of communicating with people over e-mail?

    I remember times where people actually quoted relevant material from previous mails, trimmed down unnecessary garbage and answered questions *below* the question itself.

    These days you need to sift through millions of lines of excessive "Original Message" quoting without any reference to the actual contents of previous messages. Sucky line breaks, HTML-crap, incoherent writing and idiotic bitmap smileys have made e-mail communication a Pain In The Ass, but certainly not an effective means of getting things done in a coherent fashion.

    Thank god there are some lonely islands in usenet with old-fashioned people who take the three seconds to trim down excessive quoting, who put answers *after* the questions and who know how to use an editor to get a message across.

    One of these days I am going to start a company that uses a newsserver as its main means of internal communication and I'll fire everyone who doesn't play by the rules of old style usenet posting.

    1. Re:Oh, the horror of Outlook Express by Thuktun · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I remember times where people actually quoted relevant material from previous mails, trimmed down unnecessary garbage and answered questions *below* the question itself.

      In business politics, someone can get added to the thread after the fact or get the mail forwarded to them, and the presence of a message history greatly aids in their understanding. This is really a work-around for poor tools and processes.

    2. Re:Oh, the horror of Outlook Express by Doc_NH · · Score: 5, Funny

      I bet top posters drive you crazy. :o)


      Whatever happened to a sane style of communicating with people over e-mail? I remember times where people actually quoted relevant material from previous mails, trimmed down unnecessary garbage and answered questions *below* the question itself. These days you need to sift through millions of lines of excessive "Original Message" quoting without any reference to the actual contents of previous messages. Sucky line breaks, HTML-crap, incoherent writing and idiotic bitmap smileys have made e-mail communication a Pain In The Ass, but certainly not an effective means of getting things done in a coherent fashion. Thank god there are some lonely islands in usenet with old-fashioned people who take the three seconds to trim down excessive quoting, who put answers *after* the questions and who know how to use an editor to get a message across. One of these days I am going to start a company that uses a newsserver as its main means of internal communication and I'll fire everyone who doesn't play by the rules of old style usenet posting.

      --
      if vegetarians eat vegetables why are cannibals not humanitarians.
    3. Re:Oh, the horror of Outlook Express by C0deM0nkey · · Score: 4, Informative
      seems to be more readable to the average user

      Only because the average user has been *trained* by bad messaging habits to read email that way.

      Top-posting is fine (it annoys me, but its tolerable) if you are engaged in a single-threaded, IM-style conversation where you only have to answer one question at a time. When someone asks multiple, unrelated questions in a single email or touches on multiple topics that cannot all be dealt with in a single response, top-posting falls flat on its face.

      The division on this issue seems to be squarely along business users and technical users. Most technical users have been trained in Usenet-style posting: trimmed messages, clear annotation, appropriate response. Business users have been trained by Microsoft - fire and forget.

  26. Re:mod this +5 by N3WBI3 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    You have put your finger on the problem precisely (though I would tend to think that this primarily a south-westerm US problem.

    NOLA is south east US, not south west. The problems in NOLA were due to the culture of entitlement, and lack of personal responsibility that the new deal has created among the poorest of the US. Hell there are poverty advocates who say that looting it ok because they are poor. This was not in response to food and water this is while they were watching a clip of a guy stealing stuff from a high end electronics store. If looting is OK because they are poor why not violence against another person.

    we all have poor politicians, though few of us have whole police forces that run

    NO and LA are the most poorly run state/major city in the Union and its been that way for some time. The best example is a parking lot full of flooded busses that could have been used in the hours before the storm hit (or the levees broke) to get some more people out of there.

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