For the past 6 or 7 years anything I wrote on work email, I wrote with the thought, "Would I be bothered if this was posted publicly".
Earlier I might have posted some things about others that I wouldn't wanted publicly posted.
When email first came out, I emailed much stuff, that would have been very embarrassing if the wrong people saw it.
I always wrote work emails with the assumption that HR can view them anytime they want. I've never discussed anything personal in a work email address.
There's a few where I question the intelligence of some co-workers or contractors I'm working with. Embarrassed is too strong a word, might cause a little awkwardness, I suspect they all assume I think they're idiots, now they'll have it in writing.
Other than that everything is uninteresting and professional.
Yes, there would be lots of embarrassing stuff. Getting scolded for times I messed up. Dumb jokes I made that probably make me seem like a little kid, not a professional. One time I was petulant with my boss because I felt like I was being scolded unfairly, and this exchange would definitely make me look like a child. Questions I asked that in retrospect make me look really stupid. And I'm sure that wouldn't be the end of it. To everyone saying "I write emails with the understanding they could be public someday", well, me too, but these things can still happen.
And of course it would be a million times worse if personal emails were included. I realize that wasn't your question, but I know for many people (myself included at times) that boundary can become fuzzy, especially if you are always at work.
I was 21-years-old a decade ago. I don't think I've ever put anything excessively offensive or inflammatory into an email, but I'm sure I'd be embarrassed by some minor immaturity issues. Can't think of anything specific, but I'm sure if I reread my emails, I'd find myself thinking "wow, that prof must have thought I was a moron" more than once (if we're including school emails as well as work emails).
Once I was in the working world, I don't think I ever put anything too bad into an email. My team at work is small, so it's easy to just get up and talk to someone face-to-face if I don't want a record of our conversation. If I want to talk to someone outside of the company, I use the phone if I don't want a record, then just shoot off an email confirming any points that I actually do want a record of.
Having entered the working world after email had been around for a while, I've always had a pretty keen awareness of the public nature of that method of communication.
Work emails, little or nothing. Maybe some medical stuff, but nothing big.
15 years ago I used private email over lunch and called my boss a humorless puritan. I got fired a couple months later. It never came up in the interim, and I was not let go for any disciplinary reasons--officially economic, following slow down after dotcom bust. But the boss had Machiavellian issues and played favorites. So who knows.
Since then the worst has been right here. Calling out the nutjob trolls--and the like--for what they are.
today I got an email from Margaret Andersen saying
now is a good time for us to do it
I do not know anyone named Margaret Andersen and while I can think if a lot of things we might do together I have no direct knowledge what her suggestion actually refers to. I refrained from clicking on the link she provided.
Taken alone someone might question my relationship with this lady and conclude she and I are doing something sub rosa.
Otherwise there is nothing in my emails that would embarrass me. A number of people have shared secrets with me that might embarrass them but possessing the knowledge is not an embarrassment to me. None of the revelations were about committing crimes that I failed to report.
I treat LRC the same as work and personal e-mails.
With that being said, I wouldn't be concerned if my work e-mails were released publically. What I would be worried about is the ability of nefarious actors getting said e-mails and taking them out of context (sort of like those Planned Parenthood videos).
Anyone can make everyone's' e-mails look embarrassing given enough motivation.
No. But my name's not Hillary and I treat co-workers and clients with respect and truthfulness.
Nothing embarrassing in my work emails.
Write emails as if they were postcards.
But Letsrun posts ...
If you've got some time to waste, then go over to wikileaks and dig through a few email archives. Some very important people seem to waste as much time as everyone else commenting on sports and whatever else is posted at TMZ.
I've always assumed as long back as I can remember that one day I'll end up being a celebrity who is idealized and adored by the public.
Accordingly, from a young age I've modeled public and private history and interactions under the assumption of being in the public life. So not just work emails but personal emails, behavior during relationships and even things as small as how I behave at a small wedding with mostly extended family, or to the cashier at the grocery store.
From 1999-2001 yes, email was new at work and it was kind of like the Wild West.
Since then, probably not.
Yes
Conundrum wrote:
For the past 6 or 7 years anything I wrote on work email, I wrote with the thought, "Would I be bothered if this was posted publicly".
Earlier I might have posted some things about others that I wouldn't wanted publicly posted.
When email first came out, I emailed much stuff, that would have been very embarrassing if the wrong people saw it.
Shut up, democrat.
None of mine jeopardize international security.
Maybe 1 or 2 rather innocuous things (e.g., minor off color jokes and such), but they'd have to look long and hard to rustle up anything that even remotely failed the red face test.
Conundrum wrote:
For the past 6 or 7 years anything I wrote on work email, I wrote with the thought, "Would I be bothered if this was posted publicly".
Earlier I might have posted some things about others that I wouldn't wanted publicly posted.
When email first came out, I emailed much stuff, that would have been very embarrassing if the wrong people saw it.
After having my emails forwarded a few times when I hadn't expected it, I finally started writing in such a way that I would not be embarrassed no matter who read them.
Absolutely and unequivocally ... nope.
Star wrote:
Nothing embarrassing in my work emails.
Write emails as if they were postcards.
But Letsrun posts ...
Nothing is completely hidden or private online. Remember that Ashley Madison expose?