When Can I Expect an Email Response?

An anonymous reader writes "Ever sit there waiting for an email response and wonder what's going on? Did they get it? Did it get filtered? A study looks at the responding habits of a large group of corporate users. They find, among other things, that users would try to 'project a responsiveness image. For example, sending a short reply if a complete reply might take longer than usual, intentionally delaying a reply to make themselves seem busy, or planning out timing strategies for email with read receipts.' Tit-for-tat, 'Users would try to reciprocate email behaviors -- responding quickly to people who responded quickly to them, and lowering their responsiveness to people who responded slowly to them in the past.'"

Comments

I'm not posting to slashdot...

[HotBlackDessiato]

...anymore. you never respond to my comments.

No no no!

[doxology]

I just the other day got...an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday, I got it yesterday.-Ted Stevens, honorable US Senator from Alasak

See, it's not that people time e-mails to make themselves look busy, it's that the tubes get full!

Ob. Beatles

[jb.hl.com]

you never respond to my comments.

You only give me your funny mod points...

Re:furchin is Out of the Office Today

[khasim]

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***error*** User has exceeded disk quota

Re:read receipts

[gEvil (beta)]

I like to copy the text from a read receipt and then send a dozen or so messages containing that text to the sender over the next 30 minutes. : p

Re:personal or business

[nine-times]

The same applies to improtance. ohh yea, the importance flag in outlook is of no use whatsoever because an emergency on your part, doesnt' mean an emergency on mine, unless your a client in which case see above.

Agh! E-mail "priorities". In my experience, anything marked "!" important was absolutely not important at all. I used to work for a company where some people would set that on every single e-mail they sent, no matter the content. I ignored it for a while, and then I set a casual rule for myself that anything with a little red exclamation mark next to it got ignored for 10 minutes minimum. Still, it annoyed me, so I made inbox rules to reverse any priorities (setting e-mails marked "low" to "high" and vice versa).

That was all well and good until my boss walked by and noticed all his e-mails were marked low priority. "Oh... huh, you didn't set them low priority? I just thought you were being considerate to my schedule. Must be some kinda bug!"

URGENT: PROBLEM!

[poopie]

Hey, I just wanted to get a quick reply out to you to let you know that I read your comment. I'll post more in detail later, I have a meeting I need to get to.

Hi Eln,

Thanks so much for your prompt response. This is now urgent! I'm cc'ing all of the dev managers and the VPs of developments so that we can all track your responses to this issue. Please respond to all ASAP!!!

Oh, can we set up a meeting tonight at 8pm to discuss your findings? I've added this to everyone's calendar - I realize that this is short notice, but attendance is mandatory.

If anyone has any thoughts, ideas, random musings, opinions, or collateral information please respond.

Thanks everyone!

Bob
Senior SCSSACP
TPS report generation, QLDT division
AGAAP
email: bob@corp.com
fax: 1-212-212-1212
Mobile: 1-212-212-1223
Telex: TP-10925645
Pager: bob7979797@pagingservice.com
GPS coordinates: N36 06.285', W114 46.655'
IM: hotlovr69@msn.com
What I'm currently listening to: Mr. T - Respect yo Mama

The opinions epressed in the above email represent my opinion and do not represent the opinion of my company or management. This communication from corp.com may contain forward looking statements or confidential information and must not be forwarded or archived.

--

THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT FROM MY BLACKBERRY

--
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SCANNED BY AVG-PRO AND FOUND TO BE VIRUS FREE

Re:URGENT: PROBLEM!

[Solder Fumes]

You are SO channeling seven or eight of my bosses right now.

Re:I disagree

[Reziac]

This has the makings of a chain letter :)