This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.

E-Mail Advice for Jason Kenney (And Others)

Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney, accidentally hit "reply all" on a heated e-mail, wherein he called Alberta's deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk a "complete and utter asshole."His experience, though a disappointing one, serves as a stern reminder to keep our e-mail etiquette in check.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
CP

Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney, accidentally hit "reply all" on a heated e-mail, wherein he called Alberta's deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk a "complete and utter asshole."

His experience, though a disappointing one, serves as a stern reminder to keep our e-mail etiquette in check.

His first wrong turn was replying to the initial e-mail when he was obviously quite upset.

Kenney's reply came five minutes after the initial message, suggesting he responded in the heat of the moment -- never a good idea.

When an e-mail makes tempers flare, it is best to draft a reply, if only for catharsis, then walk away from it for a few hours, or sleep on it. Re-visit your draft response with fresh eyes (which might have prevented Kenney from misspelling Lukaszuk's name) and a clear head. Then you can soften your diction as needed.

In fact, e-mail might not be the best medium for a reply, anyway. Any message that is so emotionally charged that you're calling someone an asshole sounds like it warrants a face-to-face meeting, or a phone call at the very least.

It might also be worth noting that an email intended for one recipient may very well end up public. A quick screen shot and a "forward" key are all one needs to make anything go viral.

Resist the temptation to treat anything digital, whether it is an e-mail or a tweet, with a veil of anonymity.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.