"Thank you"

"Thanks"

I hate e-mails that just say "thanks." Sure. I'm guilty. I send them too. Sometimes it seems like the polite thing to do. But at least if there are 10 people on copy, I just reply to the person I'm thanking. Why do 9 other people need to see me say "thanks?"

Apparently, however, most people feel the need to show they're being courteous to their neighbor. I'd almost bet that some of these people add additional people on reply just to say, "look at me, I say 'Thank you'."

Now don't go thinking that I lack all manners or courtesy. I'll say thank you to a waitress twice when she re-fills my water. Once when she picks it up. Once when she puts it down re-filled. I'll shoot-out out a "please" after listening to my boss bark orders at people in our factory. Sure, I come off as a smart ass, but just because you have power, doesn't give you the right to eschew courtesy.

Speaking of being a smart ass, I want to coin the phrase "Insightful turds." Is there a better way to describe the drivel spewing from a Smart Ass? Maybe I could change my blog name "Insightful Turds; Thoughts and Discourse of a Smart Ass." (Besides, judging from the comments, nothing brings in readers like poop)

Anyhow, despite courtesy, "thanks" e-mails, after a chain of 15 e-mails, only 3 of which likely had anything worthwhile to say, just seem to be the epitome of inefficiency. Then again, most all e-mail seems to get more and more inefficient by the day, as we copy more and more people, and then ask specific questions to specific people, while adding more and more people to make ourselves appear as though we're accomplishing. Or, sometimes you know that people would even provide you a response if they don't feel like others are watching.

But we can't fix all the ills of e-mail or the human psyche in a day. We can however, stop doing the little things that annoy me, so that I'm more relaxed. I'm selfish like that.

So, in advance of you all not copying me on e-mails thanking someone else for actually doing their job, which you likely shouldn't have been following up to begin with, let me just say, "Thanks."