Who would have ever imagined that one simple technology feature could alter politics, get you fired, end a relationship, or ruin your business. The fallout from sending an unintended email to “all” can sometimes be humorous, but often times is not. People have gotten fired because of one innocent act– sending inappropriate comments or overly opposing opinions to bosses, customers, friends, and co-workers by mistake.
Whether you make a conscious or unconscious decision to use the hazardous REPLY TO ALL button, my advice is to proceed with caution. Don’t let a two-second flick of the mouse have a devastating effect on your life. You can avoid this costly mistake by simply taking another five seconds to think about the domino effect from clicking REPLY TO ALL or make sure it is unchecked! If that’s too much to suggest, there’s another option– purchase the software that asks for confirmation before you send a REPLY TO ALL message, thereby making you think twice about who will see what you’re about to send.
