Reply All

We live in a convenience based, email crazed working world. My days can be virtually (pun intended) consumed by email. I have even attempted to only check my email 3x per day so that I can actually accomplish tasks and "think" rather than just do.

I have all of these "tools" to make me more productive including a laptop, a PC with two screens so that I can run twice as many programs simultaneously, a blackberry, and a hands free headset. On average, I see 75+ emails in one day. Now what about those last couple of sentences sounds like productivity or rather sensory overload? Of those 75 emails, I would say 50% are action items or working projects and the remaining 50% are worthless. I would like to create a diatribe at the bottom of my email signature with the following rules:

• Actually think about who you are writing the email to and put their address in the "To" list. Unless this person is completely useless at their job, it's really unnecessary to copy in their boss and their bosses boss. Let's start the day off right by not throwing a co-worker under the bus to their boss. It will likely be reciprocal.
• "Reply All" is not a right. In fact, I think it should be banished. This is where 30% of my useless emails come from. Send out an email at the end of the project letting everyone know what went down. I do not need to know Steps 1 through 325 via email so that you feel self important. My favorite is when an idiot decides to hit "Reply All" without realizing it and talk shit about the original author of the email thinking that they have actually forwarded the email. I have been on both sides of this and it is embarassing. Leave the shit talking to less permanent forms of communication.
• Turn the vibrate notification off on your blackberry while you are in meetings. I can still hear it and it's annoying. Definitely do not put it on the table and let it continue to vibrate. I should just chuck it at you for that.
• "CC": see "Reply All" comments
• Email signatures: Get rid of the graphics. Don't you remember when you were encouraged to ditch the silly email (I was twinkletoes1210@aol.com) for a more professional one that likely includes your name? The same goes with an email signature. Emoticons, flashing images, tacky graphics, really? Save it for facebook or better yet, myspace.