Even employees of a storied media company are still apparently struggling with basic email etiquette. The citizens of the Condé Nast kingdom responded to a reoccurring spam message today by resorting to reply-all — a cardinal sin of internet communication, unless you’re really funny — causing the whole thing to devolve into a mess of useless messages across dozens of titles. Those who know better, of course, just took to social media to snicker.
“There are so many,” said a staffer who shared a piece of the chain with Daily Intelligencer, “but here’s a representative one.”
It started with a nonsense spam email sent to the Condé “intelligence” listserv, which should probably be changed:
From: condenast-cntelligence <condenast-cntelligence@c-s-wilson.com>
Reply-To: “condenast-cntelligence@c-s-wilson.com” <condenast-cntelligence@c-s-wilson.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 10:48 AM
To: Conde Nast - CNTelligence <_324d9d@condenast.com>
Subject: Good day condenast-cntelligenceThe exact date of Basil’s death is debated by historians. Statistics are often applied to find relationships between variables. Accessed on line September 20, 2007.
A New Yorker photo editor responded to everyone:
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 1:17 PM
To: Conde Nast - CNTelligence <_324d9d@condenast.com>
Subject: Re: Good day condenast-cntelligenceGood day Condé Nast Intelligence Bureau,
Can you please tell me the meaning of these bizarre Intelligence emails I am getting up to three times a day that appear to make little or no sense?
Eagerly awaiting some elucidation,
Someone from Teen Vogue chimed in:
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 1:20 PM
To: condenast-cntelligence@c-s-wilson.com; Conde Nast - CNTelligence
Subject: Re: Good day condenast-cntelligenceI’ve been receiving them as well—just started today.
Plus a longtime New Yorker staff writer:
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 10:23 AM
Cc: condenast-cntelligence@c-s-wilson.com; Conde Nast - CNTelligence
Subject: Re: Good day condenast-cntelligenceMe, too–yesterday.
And so on. You get the idea, and if you’ve worked in an office — likely one less supposedly savvy than Condé — you know the deal.
A tech person later replied (to all):
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 1:24 PM
Cc: “condenast-cntelligence@c-s-wilson.com” , Conde Nast - CNTelligence
Subject: RE: Good day condenast-cntelligenceGuys, please stop replying and just delete the email!!
That always does the trick. (Names have been removed because their co-workers already know who should be embarrassed.) But it was the public-facing, in-house jokes that really made the rest of us feel included:
Condé Nast — they’re just like us!
