The 7 Things about Email that are Especially Annoying

Email is both an incredible workplace communication tool and the bane of most knowledge workers' existence. Here at The Computer Guyz, we compiled a list of the seven biggest email pet peeves.

#1 SPAM

Whether it's a long-lost friend telling you about an amazing business opportunity or an advertisement for a too-good-to-be-true weight-loss supplement, spam is inevitable. It can also be a gateway to identity theft, hacks and other security concerns, so make sure you've got a good spam filter.

#2 IRRELEVANT EMAILS

How many of your daily emails are relevant to work? Most people will say that only half of their emails (or even fewer) are relevant. Think twice before you send and make sure the content is relevant to everyone in the address field.

#3 OBNOXIOUS or INSINCERE SIGNATURES

“Best wishes," "Most sincerely," and "Warmest regards" are huge annoyances. Try to avoid sounding like a character in a Jane Austen novel and, instead, say nothing, and let your message and your punctuation speak for you. If you feel you must include a sign-off, a simple 'Thanks!' will do just fine.

#4 LAG IN RESPONSE TIME

Did they receive the email? How about now? You've waited a few hours, should you call? Oh! There's the response you've been waiting for. While email is supposed to mean instantaneous communication, that doesn't always happen, and it's extremely frustrating.

#5 BACK-TO-BACK RESPONSES

On the flip side, a flurry of emails before you've even had a chance to read, understand, acknowledge and respond to an email is just as infuriating. Before you send a number of one-line missives, take time to think about how you can combine issues, ideas and thoughts into one message.

#6 EMOTICONS

One of the biggest drawbacks of email is that it lacks the physical and verbal cues that help inform senders' and receivers' understanding of the messages. While it may be tempting to use emoticons to fill that void (guilty), the best course of action is to simply state the emotion you wish to convey as clearly as possible; no smiley faces necessary.

#7 EXCLAMATION POINTS

Make sure you're limiting your use of exclamation points so you don't come across as "shouty," or don't inadvertently convey anger. Professional emails should be clear, concise and measured, so try and avoid excessive exclamations.

Spam, emoticons and obnoxious signatures – most people have a love-hate relationship with email. What do you think is especially annoying about emails?