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I am sorry if this Trigger Question appears to be less a trigger and more of a rant. But really, people, there are too many CCs out there. No, not the name CeeCee. (Which, I learnt, means bird.) My gripe is with CC, the supposed productivity enhancer. The one that has no restriction on the number of CCs. The one built into your email software.
You might be too young to know what a real CC is. Or you are of an age that you have already forgotten. So allow me to explain. CC stands for carbon copy. Believe it or not, your email program cannot make real carbon copies.
In the good old days, the standard typewriter probably managed about two CCs, depending on how hard the typist slammed the keys. To penetrate the layers of carbon paper. But then, who in his or her right mind would need more than two carbon copies? If you really needed more copies, then you would use the duplicating machine. (Mind the ink! It stains your hands for days.)
Here's my point. Back then, creating additional carbon copies took effort. So you needed a damn good reason for the extra copies. But today people use CC for no other reason than because they can!
If that's your style, well, you're plain lazy. And you expect other people to do your work for you. You are too lazy to think through (a) why exactly you are emailing me, and (b) what reaction, response or behavior you want from me, or from everyone on your CC list. Which means (c) you won't even bother to create an informative subject line that explains what the email is about.
Your laziness now expects me, one of the many you unthinkingly CC'd, to do your work for you: I must figure out what your email is about (c); why I am included on the list (a); and what exactly it is you want me to do as apposed to what you want the other CCs to do (b). And yes, thanks to you, my thinking will not be as smooth as a, b, c.
Sorry. I got carried away. I did not mean to rant and rave at you. For all I know, you might be one of the few sane email users and thoughtful managers out there.
As for the others, well, they think they are efficient when they zap off CC-heavy, subject-fuzzy emails. But all they are doing is reducing overall productivity by decreasing other people's effectiveness. Well done, you.
Many years ago I saw a cartoon (I think it was Dagwood) which explained that a lazy man invented power steering. Today, we all benefit from power steering. Which goes to show that laziness can have a meaningful outcome.
But the lazy use of CC benefits no-one. Not even the lazy sender, who never gets the response longed for. Unless, of course, you like to CC because you like to CYA.
(The Internet will tell you there are over 100 meanings for the abbreviation CYA. You may pick one you like. If you are not too lazy.)
Here endeth the rant.
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Your Friday Trigger Question:
Did you CC cos you're lazy?
Welcome to my side of the nonsense cc divide.
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