This article from the BBC interested me.
'...A New Zealand woman has lost her accounting job after sending "confrontational" emails filled with block capitals. So why is it taboo to hit the caps-lock key?'
The article goes on to speculate around the reasons why capital letters, mis-used, are so capable of causing grief. It seems to me though to be pretty clear. In email correspondance, writing in upper case is the equivalent of RAISING YOUR VOICE... and no-one likes to be shouted at. It seems this lady also sent instructions in bold and highlighted text in red. I don't even know her and I'm getting annoyed!
The thing is some people just aren't sensitive to this sort of thing, and genuinely don't know when they're causing offence. If anyone out there is unsure, might I suggest this rule of thumb: Pass all your emails through the internal client filter. If you wouldn't feel absolutely comfortable with the tone of your email for a client, then don't send it to a colleague either.
On the other hand some people know exactly what they're doing. AVOID THOSE PEOPLE.
The article goes on to speculate around the reasons why capital letters, mis-used, are so capable of causing grief. It seems to me though to be pretty clear. In email correspondance, writing in upper case is the equivalent of RAISING YOUR VOICE... and no-one likes to be shouted at. It seems this lady also sent instructions in bold and highlighted text in red. I don't even know her and I'm getting annoyed!
The thing is some people just aren't sensitive to this sort of thing, and genuinely don't know when they're causing offence. If anyone out there is unsure, might I suggest this rule of thumb: Pass all your emails through the internal client filter. If you wouldn't feel absolutely comfortable with the tone of your email for a client, then don't send it to a colleague either.
On the other hand some people know exactly what they're doing. AVOID THOSE PEOPLE.
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