Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [email]

For questions about communication specifically over email. Can be used with other forms of communication, as long as there is a specific issue pertaining to email or using email as an option for communicating. For questions about social media or instant messaging, please use those relevant tags instead.

Emails are an extremely old (and useful) way to communicate, typically with companies or even between employees of a company. They can also be used for people who are unable to or do not have an instant messaging application. Emails are typically used in a formal context however emails can also be used as an easy way to store messages or attachments for a short time between devices.

This tag should be used for questions about communication specifically over email. Can also be used with other forms of communication, as long as there is a specific issue pertaining to email or using email as an option for communicating.

For communication via social media, please use the tag instead, and for instant/online messaging services please use the tag.

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How can I avoid coming across as condescending when telling a coworker I can't work on an issue right now?

Being a programmer, I largely run on the logical/factual side which tends to get me in trouble with my emails being read in tones not intended. One email, I even was sat down with my boss for being "condescending" when I by no means meant it that…
ggiaquin16
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How do you tactfully write that someone's reply doesn't truly answer your question?

I need to email someone that his reply doesn't truly answer the questions in my original email. 1 below appears too brusque, and would insult and offend: Sorry, but your reply doesn't appear to answer my question. 2 will less likely offend but…
NNOX Apps
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How can I better control my desire (or need) to send long messages?

As far back as I can remember, my first Hotmail emails, T9-word texts, even handwritten letters—these events ages 10 to 16—I felt I communicated differently from others. In high school I kept private journals, sometimes filling up several pages in…
Andrew Cheong
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Is adding “let me know if anything is unclear” to an e-mail really necessary or is it redundant?

(Note that I originally asked this question on the English Language Stack Exchange and was told that it belonged here (Interpersonal Stack Exchange), so I removed it from the EL SE and manually moved it here.) I am a data scientist and I regularly…
MusTheDataGuy
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7 answers

How to reply to a message or email after a long delay?

I have a habit of taking a very long time to reply to emails and messages. Since some of these are from friends with whom this is my main form of contact (i.e. unless it is organised via messages and/or emails, I will never see or speak to these…
TheTermiteSociety
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2 answers

How can I politely find out the gender of a potential roommate via email?

I was looking for a shared room on Craigslist and I found one I'm interested in. On the post, the writer didn't specify if he/she is male or female. I'm female, and personally I would only feel comfortable sharing a room with someone who is also…
Marisol Y.
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3 answers

How to tell a busy professor that I don't mind if he answers my questions when he has time?

I am self-studying a course. Two years ago I began to use some lectures by a professor from the United States (I'm from a different country). He is retired now. While watching his lectures, I began to have some questions about the topics. So I…
lightning_missile
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When should I use Mrs. or Ms. in emails?

When I am writing emails, I prefer to use either Mr., Mrs., or Ms. when addressing the recipient's name. When I am addressing a woman, I may not always know their marital status and don't know whether to use "Mrs." or "Ms." Assuming I have no way of…
Tom
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How can I assert my domain knowledge, while signalling openness to useful information, over email?

My current project at work is part of a product that many people use internally, with an active email list for user feedback. I recently pushed out a rather visible change and unsurprisingly someone started a thread on the list with some feedback. I…
Em C
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Are "pleasantries" in emails still ... "pleasant"?

Hi [your name here]! It's been a long time since we last had a chance to catch up and I really hope you're doing well. Everything is great on my end [. . .] I'm writing because I really need someone to help me out this week with a project and I was…
Catija
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What is the politest way to follow up on an ignored email?

I send a lot of emails - some important and some not. I often get replies for the important ones promptly, but the less important ones can often be forgotten. I understand this - I'm sure I do the same sometimes. This specific case is me emailing a…
Tim
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Can we use abbreviations in professional communication?

Is it good to use abbreviations in professional communication? I generally uses Mail or Skype to communicate with others. In that case, many times I used words such as ASAP, CTN, FYI etc. So when should I use these words and when should I not use…
Code Lღver
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Issue an apology over inappropriate email

Yesterday, I had family and friends over at my house, and I left my computer unlocked, and during the evening, I forgot about it. After some time if my computer is inactive, it goes to sleep. After everyone left, I cleaned up and jumped into…
user19232
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3 answers

Public replies to private messages

I am a member of a programmers' society email group. I recently sent a member a personal, private email regarding their behaviour in the forum. I didn't want to reduce the standing of the person publicly. That person's response was to quote my…
Tom Hale
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Does the way that someone signs an email change how I should address them?

Imagine you write an email to a professor (or, to avoid academic specifics, councillor) Joseph Doe whom you never met personally before: Dear Professor (Councillor) Doe, blah-blah-blah Kind Regards, Paul Smith and soon you get a reply, Dear…
Anonymous
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