RE: Email

I've been thinking about email a lot lately. As much as I am a fan of it's convenience, sometimes it also drives me nuts. I am the type of person who needs the emotion and inflection to determine what "that's supposed to mean."

Several week ago PhD Comics published a strip that illustrated email communication between grad students and professors.

This describes most of the emails that I write to professors, but was especially true last night as I was trying to word two emails about setting up appointments to talk about comps and diss committees. In grad school, this is second only to asking someone to be your advisor in terms of places you might accidentally screw up and ruin your academic life (a subject for another post).

Of course while I spent nearly 1 1/2 drafting the two short "can I meet with you" emails, I received this*...

dear ms. b,
i saw a spot open in your english xyz class and i was just wondering if i could join your class. I talked to the english department and the lady told me to email you. When you get word i think she said that you need to email someone named john doe and he can approve it? i'm not too sure. but just let me know. thanks Jane Doe

While my response should have the brief "prof" No (send) response illustrated above, I explained that it was too late to join the class and then added the following (courtesy of M)...

For future reference, you may want to double check your emails for proper punctuation, etc. when emailing an instructor. I am sure you would want to come across as professional as possible.

Yes, I am that prof who sends snarky emails.

*Names and course descriptions have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty. Punctuation and capitalization have not been changed at all. Please note the capitalization of the student's name.