Poll: Email Courtesy

[admin]

Back in my e-Commerce 101 class in college, we had a debate about email courtesy and the way that communication was evolving in electronic forms vs. traditional paper means.

It was suggested, (and this was when no one was for sure, and email was just starting to become popular) that the opening email to a person required you address the person you were contacting by their first name, and if that person replied to you, using your first name, that you should continue the duration of the email using first names.

In the evolution of the Internet, i do not think that rule is practiced as often.

So I have presented a simple poll for you to waste your time on and this thread to voice your opinions on. You can vote, post, or do both.

Do you think it is rude if someone replies to your email without using your first name in the first line of the message body?

Are you indifferent to first name usage?

Happy posting!

[Matt]

Wow what a boring poll! Only 2 takers.

[Ricardo]

I think it depends on your relationship with the person.

Generally I think it's more polite to address the person, but if you're just firing off an observation to a close friend or coworker, I don't think it's necessary.

[AJH]

I said it should always be used, but now I am thinking of examples fo when I haven't done it. When I have a really short reply to someone, I do not typically use their first name. I try to when it is given though because it makes it more personable.