There are lots of things to find annoying in the world but one that has really crawled under my skin of late is the over profligate use of the CC in emails.  Nothing irks me more than when a bunch of people are CC’d in an email  before said email is sent to the "To" person to deal with directly. I think we’ve all probably been there: someone sends you an email and CCs your boss, your bosses boss and potentially your spouse and lover.  In it they request something and make it sound like this is at least the 20th time they’ve asked you for whatever it is and you haven’t responded to any of those first couple of dozen requests.  The truth is that this is the first it’s been mentioned and the "From" person is just being an ass and trying to make you look bad.

I get just as annoyed being one of the CCd people.  I already deal with enough email to choke a horse so I don’t really need to know if one of my friends or associates is being asked to provide a phone number for some schmo and simply must reply ASAP.  Why involve me?  If the "To" person doesn’t get back to you then pick up the damn phone and bug him until he does.  If that doesn’t work then call his boss.  Either way, leave me out of it.  Oh, and if you think you’re going to get results by applying some sort of peer pressure then you’ve got another thing coming.  All you’re accomplishing is making me and the other 20 people you CC’d think you’re an annoying little twerp at best, and at worst an inconsequential gnat who doesn’t merit a response from my respected colleague.

Then there’s the use of the ! on every damn message you send.  Ever hear of Chicken Little?  When every thing is a ! then how am I supposed to know when you send me something that’s truly !-worthy?

Yes, I’m cranky today, but believe me when I say I have a good reason.  If you want to know why then send me an email with a ! and CC everyone in your address book and I’ll get right back to you.