Author Topic: Business e-mail in ALL CAPS (Read 2853 times)

Ann · « **on:** August 28, 2019, 10:30:03 AM »

Recently management at my work has sent out emails in all capitals. This isn’t the title or paragraph headings. It is the entire body of the text, or 90% of it. These emails are several paragraphs long.

They are regarding reminders or changes in procedure. While important, they aren’t earth-shattering.

I’m sorry this is mostly a vent. I checked and the emails were sent out by different management members, so it’s not just one person. Yet, it seems there is tacit approval since it didn’t stop at the first one.

I’m dumbfounded why a 40+ year-old adult in this age who has reached a position of leadership would be unaware of the implications and limitations of communicating this way. Not only is it unprofessional, it is simply harder to read!

If you google any sort of business email etiquette, all caps is almost universally brought up as a strong negative.

Just .... why?

bluebelle · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2019, 03:35:31 PM »

geez, I thought everyone knew that all caps is the on-line version of yelling......seems pretty bizarre for your management to do it.

dandarc · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2019, 03:37:25 PM »

Quote from: bluebelle on August 28, 2019, 03:35:31 PM

geez, I thought everyone knew that all caps is the on-line version of yelling......seems pretty bizarre for your management to do it.

Maybe they do know it and are yelling in their heads as they write.

Boofinator · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2019, 03:38:18 PM »

Ignorance would be my best guess. But if I were you I'd let it slide unless you are chummy with your management.

bacchi · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2019, 03:53:35 PM »

WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? CAN'T YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR THE SYNERGY BETWEEN THE TWO DEPARTMENTS?!?

Wrenchturner · « **Reply #5 on:** August 28, 2019, 04:04:16 PM »

It's more official that way!

GuitarStv · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2019, 08:06:19 AM »

Reply to All:

USER ERROR DETECTED - PLEASE DEPRESS THE FOLLOWING KEY TO CORRECT:

Paul der Krake · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2019, 08:39:58 AM »

The correct way to handle this is to reply-all in Comic Sans asking for clarification.

ElleFiji · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2019, 09:33:09 AM »

A friend notified me that our aggressive all caps emailer is now deploying all caps and underline, all caps and bold, and even the all mighty all caps underline bold. I can't

GuitarStv · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2019, 09:40:01 AM »

No italics? There's still room to worsen . . .

ElleFiji · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2019, 09:42:14 AM »

Quote from: GuitarStv on August 29, 2019, 09:40:01 AM

No italics? There's still room to worsen . . .

Today is a new day. When I get into work, I will update myself on the tone of very important email.

Obviously I'm no where near work at 1140am. That would be silly

BrightFIRE · « **Reply #11 on:** August 29, 2019, 10:37:38 AM »

Not all caps, but we just received an all staff email from facilities entirely in bolded, italicized, red text. Six paragraphs' worth. Sigh.

PDXTabs · « **Reply #12 on:** August 29, 2019, 01:36:26 PM »

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS. ALL CAPS IS THE FUTURE. LESS BITS TO SEND ALL THE DATA, THINK OF THE IMPROVED COMPRESSION FOR TRANSMITTING TEXT.

EDITed to add: make sure that your letter of resignation is all caps.

ElleFiji · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2019, 07:12:09 AM »

Quote from: BrightFIRE on August 29, 2019, 10:37:38 AM

Not all caps, but we just received an all staff email from facilities entirely in bolded, italicized, red text. Six paragraphs' worth. Sigh.

Did it help you to understand which sentence was important?

Sibley · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2019, 08:42:13 AM »

Did your person talk to my police department?

There's a big community event this weekend, actually started yesterday. I got an email yesterday from one of the police commanders about parking/street closures, etc. Helpful information. In ALL CAPS.

BlueHouse · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2019, 08:57:45 AM »

Maybe they're sending the message from a teletype machine? From 1974?

Ann · « **Reply #16 on:** August 30, 2019, 11:09:19 AM »

Quote from: BlueHouse on August 30, 2019, 08:57:45 AM

Maybe they're sending the message from a teletype machine? From 1974?

Occam's razor!

Villanelle · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2019, 11:47:06 AM »

Are they by chance prior military? Until a few years ago, it was proper protocol in the military (or the Navy, at least) to type in all caps. Drove me nuts when I'd proof stuff for my husband.

Psychstache · « **Reply #18 on:** August 30, 2019, 12:13:32 PM »

Take me off this email.

Dogastrophe · « **Reply #19 on:** August 30, 2019, 01:26:20 PM »

We regularly receive all caps emails from our CEO. Sometimes they are full of exclamation marks and incomplete sentences. Every once in a while a full email will get sent fully in the subject line.

LennStar · « **Reply #20 on:** August 30, 2019, 01:52:28 PM »

Are you sure it's not the CEO's cat?

btw. what was the name for the "law" about that people get promoted to their highest level of incompetence?

Quote from: BrightFIRE on August 29, 2019, 10:37:38 AM

Not all caps, but we just received an all staff email from facilities entirely in bolded, italicized, red text. Six paragraphs' worth. Sigh.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I WRITE HERE, BUT YOUR BILDING IS CLEARLY ON FIRE, GE THE HELL OUT!!!

ketchup · « **Reply #21 on:** August 30, 2019, 02:26:50 PM »

Quote from: LennStar on August 30, 2019, 01:52:28 PM

btw. what was the name for the "law" about that people get promoted to their highest level of incompetence?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle

PDXTabs · « **Reply #22 on:** September 03, 2019, 08:11:33 AM »

Quote from: Sibley on August 30, 2019, 08:42:13 AM

I got an email yesterday from one of the police commanders about parking/street closures, etc. Helpful information. In ALL CAPS.

My college ethics instructor was a police officer and he told us that this was very common (15 years ago) because it was normal practice to write in all caps for their hand written reports. When they started typing the reports many of the officers just kept up with the all caps.

ncornilsen · « **Reply #23 on:** September 03, 2019, 09:03:40 AM »

Our millwrights fill in thier maintenance/repair records will all caps. It's funny sometimes when it seems like they're yelling at eachother in the notes.

Then there is our purchasing lady, who types in all caps. But its OK, because in her signature is the following:

"PLEASE NOTE I TYPE IN CAPS- I AM NOT YELLING :)"

bizzare.

Just Joe · « **Reply #24 on:** September 04, 2019, 03:44:29 PM »

TOO MUCH COFFEE???

News:

Author Topic: Business e-mail in ALL CAPS (Read 2853 times)