Microsoft - Killjoys.

3point14 · 22nd May 2020, 02:20 PM

It always brightened up my day to watch apparently competent people sabotage themselves and their colleagues over and over again solely due to the absence of any desire to learn even the slightest thing about the tools they're using. That along with the odd comedy reply could make even the dullest days a little brighter.

But now, Microsoft, in their wisdom, are offering an 'ignore conversation' feature, for all those times when somebody's emailed everybody and most people are hitting 'reply all'.

My only hope is that people won't know how to use it.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...e/ba-p/1369811

TragicMonkey · 22nd May 2020, 02:53 PM

Please remove me from this list!

rjh01 · 22nd May 2020, 08:13 PM

This is a good reason not to send an email to a large number of people with their addresses in the TO and CC boxes. Use the BCC box instead. Even better use mail merge and use their name in the email.

Norman Alexander · 22nd May 2020, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by rjh01

This is a good reason not to send an email to a large number of people with their addresses in the TO and CC boxes. Use the BCC box instead. Even better use mail merge and use their name in the email.

I've sent this to everyone at our company for their information.

xterra · 23rd May 2020, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by rjh01

This is a good reason not to send an email to a large number of people with their addresses in the TO and CC boxes. Use the BCC box instead. Even better use mail merge and use their name in the email.

Are you seriously suggesting that people learn new procedures in a digital environment, whether it be business or personal?

That borders on cruel and unusual punishment, and in some areas would make you liable to being flogged — or even worse, being forced to read all the oh-so-cute photo-edited pictures of very young children supposedly telling Grandma how to operate her {technical-thing}.

rjh01 · 23rd May 2020, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by xterra

Are you seriously suggesting that people learn new procedures in a digital environment, whether it be business or personal?

That borders on cruel and unusual punishment, and in some areas would make you liable to being flogged — or even worse, being forced to read all the oh-so-cute photo-edited pictures of very young children supposedly telling Grandma how to operate her {technical-thing}.

I assume this is a joke. However I am surprised that many people send out emails to many people using the To box rather than the BCC box. This is a dangerous practice if it is sent out to people who are external to the organisation. All what it would take is one of these people having a compromised computer and all of the email addresses will go to a spammer. It does not even have to a compromised computer. One of these people could be someone who sends out bulk emails. They would love to know more addresses and having heaps of them in the To box allows them to do that. With the names of the people as well.

Norman Alexander · 23rd May 2020, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by rjh01

I assume this is a joke. However I am surprised that many people send out emails to many people using the To box rather than the BCC box. This is a dangerous practice if it is sent out to people who are external to the organisation. All what it would take is one of these people having a compromised computer and all of the email addresses will go to a spammer. It does not even have to a compromised computer. One of these people could be someone who sends out bulk emails. They would love to know more addresses and having heaps of them in the To box allows them to do that. With the names of the people as well.

I was taught that "standard business practice" for email circulars was to send it To: yourself, and BCC: all targets. And this was back in the 1980's when email was new and text-based. For exactly the reasons you outlined.

rjh01 · 24th May 2020, 04:26 AM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

I was taught that "standard business practice" for email circulars was to send it To: yourself, and BCC: all targets. And this was back in the 1980's when email was new and text-based. For exactly the reasons you outlined.

And yet Microsoft have decided to put this 'fix' in. If everyone did the above it would not be needed. Strange.

Darat · 24th May 2020, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

I was taught that "standard business practice" for email circulars was to send it To: yourself, and BCC: all targets. And this was back in the 1980's when email was new and text-based. For exactly the reasons you outlined.

The email I had back in the 1980s didn’t have BCC.

Darat · 24th May 2020, 04:47 AM

Originally Posted by rjh01

And yet Microsoft have decided to put this 'fix' in. If everyone did the above it would not be needed. Strange.

Not strange at all, the To: field is for you to put in the email address or group you wish to send it to. The BCC: field is if you wish a copy to go to someone else that isn’t shown to the people in the To: field.

That you use it in a non standard manner for which it wasn’t designed is the rather strange thing.

TragicMonkey · 24th May 2020, 09:01 AM

The honorable use of the BCC field is to snitch on people.

Darat · 25th May 2020, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

The honorable use of the BCC field is to snitch on people.

Of course.

lauwersw · 29th May 2020, 03:03 AM

This still happens in our company every few years. Usually it happens through a mailing list which is composed automatically when you subscribe to some tool and which nobody knows even exists. Some mistypes the address and triggers that mailing list.

Oh, and please everyone stop responding that you want to get off this thread, that only makes it worse!!!

Darat · 29th May 2020, 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by lauwersw

This still happens in our company every few years. Usually it happens through a mailing list which is composed automatically when you subscribe to some tool and which nobody knows even exists. Some mistypes the address and triggers that mailing list.

Oh, and please everyone stop responding that you want to get off this thread, that only makes it worse!!!

It should be law that anyone responding to such a mailing with reply to all is summarily executed. I could be persuaded that the first 3 people to respond to "reply all" can be exempted, but not for repeat offenders.

CORed · 29th May 2020, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by 3point14

It always brightened up my day to watch apparently competent people sabotage themselves and their colleagues over and over again solely due to the absence of any desire to learn even the slightest thing about the tools they're using. That along with the odd comedy reply could make even the dullest days a little brighter.

But now, Microsoft, in their wisdom, are offering an 'ignore conversation' feature, for all those times when somebody's emailed everybody and most people are hitting 'reply all'.

My only hope is that people won't know how to use it.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...e/ba-p/1369811

The feature should be automatically triggered by the first email in which someone replies to all to tell somebody not to reply to all

Babbylonian · 29th May 2020, 12:20 PM

It doesn't exactly help that in Outlook for Android, the Reply All option is the default at the bottom of the screen and you have to touch the little arrow next to it to select Reply instead. I of course wouldn't use Outlook at all if I weren't compelled to do so by my employer.

22nd May 2020, 02:20 PM	#1
3point14 Pi Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 20,405	Microsoft - Killjoys. It always brightened up my day to watch apparently competent people sabotage themselves and their colleagues over and over again solely due to the absence of any desire to learn even the slightest thing about the tools they're using. That along with the odd comedy reply could make even the dullest days a little brighter. But now, Microsoft, in their wisdom, are offering an 'ignore conversation' feature, for all those times when somebody's emailed everybody and most people are hitting 'reply all'. My only hope is that people won't know how to use it. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...e/ba-p/1369811
3point14 Pi Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 20,405	__________________ Up the River! Anyone that wraps themselves in the Union Flag and also lives in tax exile is a [redacted]

22nd May 2020, 02:53 PM	#2
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,938	Please remove me from this list!
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

22nd May 2020, 08:13 PM	#3
rjh01 Gentleman of leisure Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Flying around in the sky Posts: 26,409	This is a good reason not to send an email to a large number of people with their addresses in the TO and CC boxes. Use the BCC box instead. Even better use mail merge and use their name in the email.
	__________________ This signature is for rent.

22nd May 2020, 10:42 PM	#4
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Gundungurra Posts: 8,466	Originally Posted by rjh01 This is a good reason not to send an email to a large number of people with their addresses in the TO and CC boxes. Use the BCC box instead. Even better use mail merge and use their name in the email. I've sent this to everyone at our company for their information.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

23rd May 2020, 03:37 PM	#5
xterra So far, so good... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: On the outskirts of Nowhere; the middle was too crowded Posts: 3,698	Originally Posted by rjh01 This is a good reason not to send an email to a large number of people with their addresses in the TO and CC boxes. Use the BCC box instead. Even better use mail merge and use their name in the email. Are you seriously suggesting that people learn new procedures in a digital environment, whether it be business or personal? That borders on cruel and unusual punishment, and in some areas would make you liable to being flogged — or even worse, being forced to read all the oh-so-cute photo-edited pictures of very young children supposedly telling Grandma how to operate her {technical-thing}.
	__________________ Over we go....

23rd May 2020, 10:24 PM	#6
rjh01 Gentleman of leisure Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Flying around in the sky Posts: 26,409	Originally Posted by xterra Are you seriously suggesting that people learn new procedures in a digital environment, whether it be business or personal? That borders on cruel and unusual punishment, and in some areas would make you liable to being flogged — or even worse, being forced to read all the oh-so-cute photo-edited pictures of very young children supposedly telling Grandma how to operate her {technical-thing}. I assume this is a joke. However I am surprised that many people send out emails to many people using the To box rather than the BCC box. This is a dangerous practice if it is sent out to people who are external to the organisation. All what it would take is one of these people having a compromised computer and all of the email addresses will go to a spammer. It does not even have to a compromised computer. One of these people could be someone who sends out bulk emails. They would love to know more addresses and having heaps of them in the To box allows them to do that. With the names of the people as well.
	__________________ This signature is for rent.

23rd May 2020, 11:58 PM	#7
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Gundungurra Posts: 8,466	Originally Posted by rjh01 I assume this is a joke. However I am surprised that many people send out emails to many people using the To box rather than the BCC box. This is a dangerous practice if it is sent out to people who are external to the organisation. All what it would take is one of these people having a compromised computer and all of the email addresses will go to a spammer. It does not even have to a compromised computer. One of these people could be someone who sends out bulk emails. They would love to know more addresses and having heaps of them in the To box allows them to do that. With the names of the people as well. I was taught that "standard business practice" for email circulars was to send it To: yourself, and BCC: all targets. And this was back in the 1980's when email was new and text-based. For exactly the reasons you outlined.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

24th May 2020, 04:26 AM	#8
rjh01 Gentleman of leisure Tagger Join Date: May 2005 Location: Flying around in the sky Posts: 26,409	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander I was taught that "standard business practice" for email circulars was to send it To: yourself, and BCC: all targets. And this was back in the 1980's when email was new and text-based. For exactly the reasons you outlined. And yet Microsoft have decided to put this 'fix' in. If everyone did the above it would not be needed. Strange.
	__________________ This signature is for rent.

24th May 2020, 04:45 AM	#9
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 96,096	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander I was taught that "standard business practice" for email circulars was to send it To: yourself, and BCC: all targets. And this was back in the 1980's when email was new and text-based. For exactly the reasons you outlined. The email I had back in the 1980s didn’t have BCC.
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

24th May 2020, 04:47 AM	#10
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 96,096	Originally Posted by rjh01 And yet Microsoft have decided to put this 'fix' in. If everyone did the above it would not be needed. Strange. Not strange at all, the To: field is for you to put in the email address or group you wish to send it to. The BCC: field is if you wish a copy to go to someone else that isn’t shown to the people in the To: field. That you use it in a non standard manner for which it wasn’t designed is the rather strange thing.
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

24th May 2020, 09:01 AM	#11
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 58,938	The honorable use of the BCC field is to snitch on people.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

25th May 2020, 06:31 AM	#12
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 96,096	Originally Posted by TragicMonkey The honorable use of the BCC field is to snitch on people. Of course.
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

29th May 2020, 03:03 AM	#13
lauwersw Thinker Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 151	This still happens in our company every few years. Usually it happens through a mailing list which is composed automatically when you subscribe to some tool and which nobody knows even exists. Some mistypes the address and triggers that mailing list. Oh, and please everyone stop responding that you want to get off this thread, that only makes it worse!!!
lauwersw Thinker Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 151

29th May 2020, 05:09 AM	#14
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 96,096	Originally Posted by lauwersw This still happens in our company every few years. Usually it happens through a mailing list which is composed automatically when you subscribe to some tool and which nobody knows even exists. Some mistypes the address and triggers that mailing list. Oh, and please everyone stop responding that you want to get off this thread, that only makes it worse!!! It should be law that anyone responding to such a mailing with reply to all is summarily executed. I could be persuaded that the first 3 people to respond to "reply all" can be exempted, but not for repeat offenders.
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

29th May 2020, 11:02 AM	#15
CORed Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central City, Colorado, USA Posts: 10,006	Originally Posted by 3point14 It always brightened up my day to watch apparently competent people sabotage themselves and their colleagues over and over again solely due to the absence of any desire to learn even the slightest thing about the tools they're using. That along with the odd comedy reply could make even the dullest days a little brighter. But now, Microsoft, in their wisdom, are offering an 'ignore conversation' feature, for all those times when somebody's emailed everybody and most people are hitting 'reply all'. My only hope is that people won't know how to use it. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...e/ba-p/1369811 The feature should be automatically triggered by the first email in which someone replies to all to tell somebody not to reply to all

29th May 2020, 12:20 PM	#16
Babbylonian Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 13,424	It doesn't exactly help that in Outlook for Android, the Reply All option is the default at the bottom of the screen and you have to touch the little arrow next to it to select Reply instead. I of course wouldn't use Outlook at all if I weren't compelled to do so by my employer.