You can start asking for read receipts on everything. It's still putting the onus on you to make sure someone reads their damn email. But on the plus side, it's super annoying for the recipient to get the "this individual has requested a read receipt" every time they get something from you. It might help them recognize how silly this all is?

Oh- I hate read receipts. It makes me never want to read email.

In other news- what the heck is up with Joey Potters hair in the picture [link]

In other news- what the heck is up with Joey Potters hair in the picture [link]

Look at her little babyface and loose fit jeans! Stay away from the Scientologists you young thing!

The hair is inexplicable. Gary Oldman as Dracula Tribute Day?

You can start asking for read receipts on everything

I have never sent a read receipt since I started working here. The software gives me a choice, I say no. I won't rely on them from other people, especially if they're triggered by actions that don't actually involve paying attention to the email.

Twice in about a week I was reprimanded for not sending stuff on time. Both times I pointed out I'd replied within about an hour, not days later, when they checked, but the only reply I got to that was "I'm really busy--you expect me to keep track of what I have to do?"

Yeah, I kinda did. You're really busy because you can do that. That's been my entire assumption up until you have now told me you won't do stuff unless you're nagged. I will build in a nag.

Thing is--he wasn't supposed to do something for *me*. So I had no idea he hadn't read my email and moved onto the next step. He had to do something for someone else, and I thought my bit was done.

There is a guy, outside my team, senior to me, who has owed me something since Friday, and I keep walking by his desk and smiling at him, and he makes me promises and then breaks them...I'm not doing that to someone who signs my cheque, though....

Twice in about a week I was reprimanded for not sending stuff on time. Both times I pointed out I'd replied within about an hour, not days later, when they checked, but the only reply I got to that was "I'm really busy--you expect me to keep track of what I have to do?"

Yeah, that's bullshit. I mean, there's not much you can do if they're up the chain and they're complaining.

But they're still responsible for checking their own email. Especially since it's not that hard for them to search to find your email to see if you have sent the necessary information.

That's on them.

God, yes, SEARCH.

I am often tempted to say I don't have or I didn't know, but I always search at least three ways before I open my mouth, and sometimes I'm still shown to be wrong. And then I'm really embarrassed, and I apologise.

I am doing it wrong.

I do want to make a point of defending my initial timeliness--if you want to ding me for not following up, okay. But do not ding me for not sending--I want to be punished for the right crime.

I just spent the past hour working on things I've been explicitly told not to work on (as opposed to farting around on the internet, which is what I really wanted to do), but I can't see how to deliver responsibly without being aware of this information or moving forward these tasks.

The people actually involved thanked me for it, but I'm only getting away with it because boss and manager are on airplanes right now. I forget that I can just work around. I don't have to have my way. I just have to get shit done.

Me and another guy have decided that Information Security is the best gig, but problematic--you have to be really bright to get it, but once you do, you don't have to do much. However, if some of the "not much" you do is wrong, you don't get a second chance.

Entirely unrelatedly, and on the topic of making light of the really depressing: Other Things Missouri Representative Todd Akin Believes To Be True About The Uterus, Besides Its Ability To "Shut Down" A Legitimate Rape

I am often tempted to say I don't have or I didn't know, but I always search at least three ways before I open my mouth, and sometimes I'm still shown to be wrong. And then I'm really embarrassed, and I apologise.

Yeah, this. I am obsessive about keeping email, because I rely on it to document that I did get something or send something, since so often I've thought I did something when I didn't. I'm not going to LOG everything, but by god I will keep my email.

Someone who scolds you for not sending something you sent, and it's in his inbox? That's just wrong. That's the bullshit My Nemesis pulls, not my boss. Because My Nemesis deletes all her email, so that there's no record (she thinks) of her actions to trip her up. She seems not to realize that other people don't do that...

Twice inside of a week. And they both outrank me, and they both cited good communication standards disseminated by the CIO.

I bet nowhere inside those standards does she relieve the recipient of responsibility. I mean, I guess. I have no idea if I have that email with the standards in it, or how I'd...oh...

So, fine. I'm rereading that communication email (February 2011, and I can still find it in 30s) and I'm officially taking on the responsibility of OTHER PEOPLE NOT READING WHAT I SEND THEM, and I'm going to close loops. Force close.

God, that smarts.

I miss my project from hell, I miss it so much....everyone was up on their shit, even when a bunch of it got randomly dumped on me. We had one person to point at and mock, and it was a team bonding exercise, and everyone else got shit done and well.

Just to make clear that I'm not stupid--I stopped by the CIO's office to let her know I'm available to explain that document to her, if she has any problem with it.

I might just print out that communication email put it up at my desk.

I'm officially taking on the responsibility of OTHER PEOPLE NOT READING WHAT I SEND THEM, and I'm going to close loops

That's absurd.