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Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

neilzone.co.uk

361–370 of 377 posts

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In case you haven't realized, you're the odd one out, today, in 2024. I don't mean this in a negative way - I just mean that you're out of what's usual.

Oh of course, I know that. There are few of us left, but I still look at modern email, full of fonts and images and needless copying of the entire thread on every reply, and I say "No. This is ridiculous, and I decline to participate." The idea of "reactions" to email is, to me, silly and unnecessary.

Good for you. But not everyone is going to cater to your preferences.

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#362

I kind of get why we don’t like this in email, but for SMS and Slack I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reactions. They’re a way to say “I received this and have a positive reaction to it, with no further communication necessary”. Replaces a lot of useless typing I had to do to sound polite when saying “fine, no further comment”. And then getting a notification from the other party acknowledging my acknowledgment… yuck.

My friend interned at the FAA 20 years ago. He said the norm there was to write "Concur without comment." I thought that was brilliant. Of course, when I use it in conversation, no one gets my reference and thinks I am weird. But that is going to happen anyway.

"ya"

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#364
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I, just like the blog author, disable remote images in emails. So I wouldn't get the "intended experience" anyway. Actually, does anyone besides Outlook users get the intended experience here? Second, "reactions" are not part of the email culture or the standard email specs. It's unexpected and awkward. So it's not being "anti-reaction" in general, it's being against some feature that only works in MS email apps, whi…

> Second, "reactions" are not part of the email culture or the standard email specs. It's unexpected and awkward. Another old dog refusing to learn a new trick. If you want to talk about not part of email culture, let's not forget images weren't part of the original. So people got over that. They embraced it just like they embraced HTML emails and everything else. You can stand in the middle of the stream, but it's j…

This isn't really that though.

The context here is in how hot-garbage the feature is for people not using Outlook.

If the experience for all users was simply a thumbs up appearing in the subject line on sent emails, maybe I'd see the point you're trying to make. Instead, it's generating a complete email that occupies the same workflow as other actually important information.

If you think a thumbs up response to an e-mail carries the same importance as a written message being directly sent to the user, you are the person who is clearly in the minority.

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#365
post #350
post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"K" is usually a short form of "okay", which is either an affirmative response to a yes/no question, or an acknowledgment of receiving an informmational message, depending on context. In most cases, this is a useful response. Asking a question and getting "I like your question" as the sole response is incredibly obnoxious.

Are you seriously telling me you’re interpreting a thumb up emoji as a literal I like X , instead of applying a little common sense and infer that they probably meant to say „okay“ with that?

I suppose I'd interpret an thumbs-up emoji as "okay" if that were what I saw, but when the server is translating that into an email response that says someone liked my last email, that muddles things up quite a bit.

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Second, "reactions" are not part of the email culture or the standard email specs. It's unexpected and awkward. Another old dog refusing to learn a new trick. If you want to talk about not part of email culture, let's not forget images weren't part of the original. So people got over that. They embraced it just like they embraced HTML emails and everything else. You can stand in the middle of the stream, but it's j…

This isn't really that though. The context here is in how hot-garbage the feature is for people not using Outlook. If the experience for all users was simply a thumbs up appearing in the subject line on sent emails, maybe I'd see the point you're trying to make. Instead, it's generating a complete email that occupies the same workflow as other actually important information. If you think a thumbs up response to an e-…

> If you think a thumbs up response to an e-mail carries the same importance as a written message being directly sent to the user, you are the person who is clearly in the minority.

oh, i'm in the minority alright but for totally different reasons than the incorrect nonsense you've just spouted. i think email is totally broken/useless at this point. to me, anyone still using email for personal communications is an ancient curmudgeon stuck in ways and unwilling to adapt to modern times. maybe corporate emails where it is only used for work purposes can remain some what clean. for personal email where everyone decided that it is okay to spam into oblivion any and every email address you've collected or bought with sales/promos/coupons/attention seeking/pr releases/etc without asking, email is ruined

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#367
post #211
post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want my messages acknowledged, it's just The Generals Problem. I assume you've read it and understood it, if you don't understand or agree, let me know, otherwise don't waste my time, I don't need people to say Thanks, you're paying me to do it

> I assume you've read it and understood it, if you don't understand or agree, let me know You’ve replaced “read” in the first part with “agree” in the second, and those are not at all the same thing. I can’t let you know that I haven’t read your message. If a parent says to the other “hey, I’m running late, I need you to pick up Tiny Tim from school”, an acknowledgement is paramount even if you read, understood, and…

If the channel is reliable why would I need to know if you've read my message? and why would you tell me in another message?

The problem isn't the acknowledgement, it's the additional steps I have to make to acknowledge the acknowledgement to the email system.

Eg Whatsapp has 1 tick for sent, 2 for received, and turns them blue for opened.

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#368
post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want my messages acknowledged, it's just The Generals Problem. I assume you've read it and understood it, if you don't understand or agree, let me know, otherwise don't waste my time, I don't need people to say Thanks, you're paying me to do it

Although it seems the military metaphor of Two Generals' Problem which I assume you're referencing is incidental, it's ironic that in the actual military all communication from superior to subordinate must be acknowledged perfunctorily, at least in very disciplined services like the United States Marine Corps. For example, if a sergeant says to a private "It's a nice day outside.", the private is obliged to respond,…

The sergeant doesn't then have to open the acknowledgement and delete it/mark it as read, that's the difference.

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#369
post #339

In an outlook only company, reactions make a ton of sense. They save tons of "great, thank you " emails. Of course you can still send real thank you emails when you're genuinely thankful!

Do people really reply to work emails with just "great, thank you" to the point where it would be distracting (e.g., many people on the email)?

Yes, sometimes I think it's probably accidental and they hit "reply all" instead of "reply". Some people though I don't think understand the difference between the two...

Re: Stop Microsoft users sending 'reactions' to email by adding a postfix header

#370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RCS is finally coming to iOS though, so soon this should be resolved.

Not to Google Voice though, because Google loves nothing more than orphaning communications products.

Which is a shame... I think when Hangouts had GV and SMS integration in a single app, that was probably the pinnacle of usage for power user messaging. It's all been down hill since then. Going back to the separate GV app has mostly sucked, and still stagnating.

Google should really give a bit of credit (bonus levels) for advancing and maintaining existing applications. Their motivation structure is backwards.

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