Email is Forever

If you follow the news, you might already have been regaled by the boastful comments of wunderkind Goldman Sachs trader Fabrice Tourre, whose email was quoted on the front page of a recent Wall Street Journal: “The whole building is about to collapse anytime now…. Only potential survivor, the fabulous Fab… standing in the middle of all these complex, highly leveraged, exotic trades he created….” Portions of the same email were also excerpted in Time and have probably appeared elsewhere.

What can we learn from Mr. Tourre’s experience? I’m not going to address whether the Goldman trades were kosher or not; that’s not my specialty. But I do want to address the utter folly of writing emails that one would not want to read on the front page of a national newspaper. Presumably, the morning fabulous Fab read his quote in the Journal was not one of the bright spots of his career. Ditto for the people who wrote the emails publicized in Climategate – or the authors of Toyota’s emails about their electronics problems. Yet there they were, smart people all, writing emails that were subsequently either subpoenaed or otherwise dragged into the public arena, there to cause reactions ranging from mere chagrin to downright terror of being charged with criminal acts.

When to Avoid Email

If your message is truly confidential, I implore you: Do not email it. Think you’re protected by the thick slab of gobbledygook at the end of your email stating that the contents are confidential? Think again. I don’t think that signature file text has slowed down the Department of Justice one little bit. If you are pondering an email about something that should not be publicized because it borders on the unethical, there's a simple solution: Don't do the dubious deed.

If you are upset or angry, do not email. Your message will become a permanent testament to your bad feelings or ill will, able to be forwarded or reviewed by anyone. It’s just not worth the momentary satisfaction you might get from saying, “There! I told him!”

If you are feeling boastful, do not email. Gloating is bad form even in trivial cases, but it is often an outright invitation to disaster. Remember fabulous Fab the next time you want to brag; if you’re unwilling to see your words in the mass media, keep them to yourself.

Email is a wonderful business tool – but it is not for every communication. It’s quick, dependable, ubiquitous and oh so permanent. If you want to preserve a record of your messages or disseminate information widely, email is ideal. But if the thought of finding your email plastered across the front page of the paper makes you queasy, consider your alternatives. You could make a phone call. You could send a fax. You could (gasp!) write a letter. Or – here’s a quaint idea – you could say nothing at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Are you confident that every email, letter and memo that comes from your organization is clear and to the point? Why wonder? Let us do a free writing audit, telling you where to make improvements and how to make them.

Contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we can talk about how the customized Worktalk trainings can transform the quality of writing in your organization.

Looking for a great resource to answer all your questions about writing? Order your copy of Get to the Point! Painless Advice for Writing Memos,Letters and Emails Your Colleagues and Clients Will Understand, 2nd edition, by Elizabeth Danziger. Available through http://www.worktalk.com/get-to-the-point.html.

Email is Forever
If you follow the news, you might already have been regaled by the boastful comments of wunderkind Goldman Sachs trader Fabrice Tourre, whose email was quoted on the front page of a recent Wall Street Journal: “The whole building is about to collapse anytime now…. Only potential survivor, the fabulous Fab… standing in the middle of all these complex, highly leveraged, exotic trades he created….” Portions of the same email were also excerpted in Time and have probably appeared elsewhere.

Are you confident that every email, letter and memo that comes from your organization is clear and to the point? Why wonder? Let us do a free writing audit, telling you where to make improvements and how to make them.

Contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we can talk about how the customized Worktalk trainings can transform the quality of writing at your firm.

Looking for a great resource to answer all your questions about writing? Order your copy of Get to the Point! Painless Advice for Writing Memos,Letters and Emails Your Colleagues and Clients Will Understand 2nd edition, by Elizabeth Danziger. Available through http://www.worktalk.com/get-to-the-point.html.

Email: