When I won't be in email contact for a while I set up a vacation
program so that if someone emails me they get a message.
I used to use the following:
I am not in email contact.
If you absolutely, positively, have to contact me
then get a life.
My wife told me this was offensive, so I changed it to
I am not in email contact.
If you absolutely, positively, have to contact me
then you have the wrong priorities.
She didn't like that one much either, but it was better.
And I think its cleverer.
But this raises the question, what is the proper etiquette for vacation programs?
-
15 years ago someone who is not computer savy was
offended by the `get a life' vacation program, thinking that
I had send it personally.
-
2 years ago a shy grad student from a different school
was terrified by my `wrong priorities' vacation program.
-
Aside from that, most people tell me they like both of them.
-
I often email someone, get a vacation program reply,
and then within 5 minutes get a real reply.
I find that someone rude.
-
Whatever the vacation program etiquette it will likely
be irrelevant as we are logged on more and more, even on vacation.
Some time ago I got this long version of Bill's 'wrong priorities' reply:
ReplyDelete---
I will be in sporadic email contact until I feel like getting email again
(one is so much more productive without email!).
If you ABSOLUTELY MUST CONTACT ME then your priorities are wrong.
bill gasarch
---
I did not feel offended because the part
about productivity simply is true.
Running a blog probably does not increase productivity either and reading your blog regularly wastes some of my productive minutes, but please continue your blog anyway, I nevertheless enjoy reading it.
I often email someone, get a vacation program reply, and then within 5 minutes get a real reply. I find that someone rude.
ReplyDeleteMany know how to turn on a vacation program, few know how to turn it off ;)
Nobody reads these things (in their entirety), anyway...
ReplyDeleteSorta like voicemail messages (esp on home phones)... "Hi, you have reached blah-blah-blah blah-blah-blah blah-blah-blah-blah; we are unable to come to the phone at this time - if you could please leave your name, number, and a brief message after the beep, we'll try and get back to you as soon as possible..."
(lots of semi-humorous versions have been tried -- these are more annoying than entertaining..)
it can all be summarized into "please leave a message, thank you" - or the less polite version "leave the message!"
I am not sure if anybody noticed or even if it is correct, but this post was actually from Lance -- at least that is what my feedreader tells me.
ReplyDeleteAre we seeing the end of retirement?
Anon 12:13:
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely Gasarchian; witness such evidence as "And I think its cleverer."
The "your priorities are wrong" message is one of my two favorite professor quotes*, and is in my AIM profile. Keep it.
ReplyDelete* the other being "Education is the only commodity where people do not want their money's worth." -Elman
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI've stopped reading this blog. If your post or reply was really important, please email or call me.
-A
This message was automatically generated by the gotalife program.