No email body, just use subject line?

[sam_gordon]

.

 

[sam_gordon]

OK, I did the OP on purpose (I wanted to leave it blank, but had to put something in and <space> wouldn't work). I keep getting emails from people and the entire message is in the subject line. We used to have a receptionist at work do that and it would drive me crazy. She's probably in her 60's, so I don't think it's a generational thing.

I don't know why it bugs me, but it does.

 

[Minnesota!]

I hate it, too, and I work with two women who do it for most of their correspondence. Drives me nuts!

 

[nene0182]

I used to have a driver I did payroll for that would do this but I really think he didn’t know any better. All of his emails were “Miss Vanessa on 10/24 I took my truck to the shop and drove a shop car to my residence and returned to” They cracked me up before we went to email correspondence I would get long handwritten letters about things that had happened.

 

[tvguy]

Almost SOP in my office. Usually just something like "fire 1234 Main Street". Reporters and Photographers don't have to open the email to get all the information they need. Sort of like texting, I guess, just easier.

 

[DisneyOma]

I hate it, too, and I work with two women who do it for most of their correspondence. Drives me nuts!

That's why we do it, of course Also, we realize most men won't open an email unless they know exactly what it's about.

 

[Allison]

If someone does this at work, their supervisor should be having a discussion with them about how to use email.

 

[tvguy]

If someone does this at work, their supervisor should be having a discussion with them about how to use email.

LOL. Our supervisors even came up with 2 letter abbreviations for the subject line. RO=read only. AR=action required. And I have been chewed out by our supervisors for making someone have to open an email when everything they needed could be put in the subject line.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

At my job people have started putting EOM (end of message), and I rather like that.

I just Googled this: https://blog.boomerangapp.com/2013/07/email-etiquette-how-to-write-subject-only-email/

1. Use subject line tags:

• N/T: No text
• EOM: End of message
• NRN: No reply necessary (everyone’s favorite thing to receive!)

 

[Allison]

LOL. Our supervisors even came up with 2 letter abbreviations for the subject line. RO=read only. AR=action required. And I have been chewed out by our supervisors for making someone have to open an email when everything they needed could be put in the subject line.

Yes, I know. Your work is unlike most.

 

[elsbit]

When I have to shoot my data specialist a daily number, I just make it a subject line with no email body. He is the only one I do this with and he has never complained, though I am his supervisor. I just think it is faster for him to see the subject line so he can grab the number and plug it into his spreadsheet, rather than having to open the email and get it.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I mean, do these companies that have people do this not have a text message system, like Slack?

 

[design_mom]

At a previous job, there were a couple of people who would do that. But it was usually short stuff that would fit in a subject line... and they generally put "NT" at the end (to indicate that there was No Text in the body of the message.) It worked out pretty well. "Free doughnuts in the break room NT" or "Don't forget to submit your XYZ report by 2pm today NT." We did not have a group messaging system at that company.

My current company does use Slack, and I don't think anybody has ever sent an e-mail without anything in the body.

 

[emer95]

There’s one teacher at my school who does this, but she puts multiple lines of text in the subject line, so you have to open the email and then scroll in the little subject bar to read it. Way worse than just sending a regular email!
On a separate rant, she also misuses ellipses. As a fellow educator, that is unacceptable to me. Every sentence..... is like a stream of consciousness...... with way more than just three periods..... and it makes her writing very irritating to read. Sometimes she’ll throw in multiple hyphens——- just to change things up———- or even lots of commas,,,,,,
What is up with that? It seems like way more work than just writing a regular sentence the normal way.

 

[tinatark]

Many people at my job do it. It's like they're sending text messages via email!

 

[sam_gordon]

Almost SOP in my office. Usually just something like "fire 1234 Main Street". Reporters and Photographers don't have to open the email to get all the information they need. Sort of like texting, I guess, just easier.

I can understand if a company has an understanding between employees. But I also get this from people who don't work with us or for us (general public). I'm not convinced emailing is easier than texting, unless maybe you're sending to a distro list.

1. Use subject line tags:

• N/T: No text
• EOM: End of message
• NRN: No reply necessary (everyone’s favorite thing to receive!)

That would make a little more sense. The problem is the emails I get give you no clue that the subject line is all there is, so you open the email expecting more information and... nothing

 

[Klayfish]

I won't say I do it frequently, but I definitely do it and see no problem with it. Sometimes I have a very short message to relay to my groups. I can fit it in a short sentence, so I just do that in the header and put EOM at the end. Easy peasy.

 

[Christine]

I've actually never seen this done!

 

[DisneyHardin]

One of the secretaries where I work does the opposite - she NEVER puts anything in the subject line so all her e-mails look like spam at first glance.

 

[Klayfish]

I've actually never seen this done!

Yep, the e-mail would read something like: "Good morning team! Bagels in the break room. EOM"