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Comment by jonasvp | Hacker News Reader

> Don’t say anything about someone in email you would not be comfortable saying to them directly, because eventually they will read it.

Absolutely - I've learned this the hard way and it's giving me new appreciation for phone calls.

It's amazing how many people do _not_ remember that an email chain of several hundred pages _will_ contain something incriminating or embassaring if forwarded to someone outside the original circle of recipients.

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Sometimes even that isn't enough. You have to read it twice. I was having a text exchange with a manager on the road. Hard to come to a consensus that way. So I wanted to talk when he got back to the shop.

I texted "We can talk some more when you get it."

One letter. The issues it caused lasted for years.

Sorry, I don't see the one letter change that fixes the message. What did you intend to say?

"Get in" -> arrive here (i.e., let's continue the discussion in person)

"Get it" --> understand (i.e., you need to take some time to realize why I'm right).

Damn.

Sure would have been nice if they assumed a automiscorrect rather than a nasty comment.

Yeah I never talked to that manager again. They wouldn't return my calls or emails.

That is a form of bullying. She bullied you.

Edit: To clarify. If you just cut the chord to someone, negating any chance of a constructive resolvement of the conflict, than that is bullying. It is not the same as to terminate communication, you can do choose to agree on that.

It's not just email. New joiners may be able to read old posts on chat threads or forums.

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