An Email Lesson for Startups: Resent vs. Re-sent

http://www.techurbia.com/2008/12/an-email-lesson-learned-resent-vs-re-sent.html

by ScottWhigham • 18 years ago

14 6 18 years ago

there• 18 years ago

> Question: lol - I just looked at the email I sent you and realized that I meant to write "re-sent" and yet I wrote "resent" lol.

> I read this email from you and I was like, "Wow - why is he talking about resentment?"

what are you, 14?

andymitchell• 18 years ago

I hoped this was a clever title for the fine line between resending an email that was ignored and getting resented for spamming. But... no :)

vlad2• 18 years ago

The way he wrote it, he indeed said he resented it.

I recommend everyone starts such sentences with, I've instead of I. Any time you start a written sentence with I've, it's clear you're describing something you just did, versus something you believe.

And finally, he also wrote the word "just" in the wrong spot. The best line would have been "I've re-sent the e-mail," instead of "I just resent it either way :)."

Herring• 18 years ago

given the sentence structure, the smiley & the extra email in my mailbox, i think i would have picked up on it.

What I don't get is Ted being pissed. I can't really parse his message, but I just don't read anger.

vlad2• 18 years ago

You're arguing that the sentence contains enough information for the author's intended interpretation to be understood (which is true); in practice, however, customers expect developers who answer questions at small companies to be more knowledgeable than they are, and often take comments, advice, or instructions almost literally. Along similar lines, most customers of most software companies are not developers, and therefore are not used to reading text carefully, like we are.

Regarding the author thinking his customer was pissed, this helps prove my point that the author needs to work on his written communication skills. He not only fails to realize that he really did phrase his words incorrectly (instead of the customer misunderstanding the sentence), but also incorrectly misread the customer's reply as being "pissed."

splurk• 18 years ago

old: adding "in bed" to a fortune cookie fortune

new: adding "for startups" to titles submitted to HN

An Email Lesson for Startups: Resent vs. Re-sent

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