The dumbest signatures in an email
Some time ago we talked about the rules of emailing but upon further reflection, I forgot a very important point. Namely: what do you put in your signature and what not. Not entirely unimportant because with every email you send, it is attached. As a passionate emailer, I sometimes come across signatures and closings that make my neck hairs stand on end and because my pain is your pain, here they are.
The signature with academic title
Look, I totally understand that you are very proud of your academic degree, but if you don't work in the academic world, it is really the purest nonsense to mention it in every email. Anyone who has obtained a bachelor's and a master's degree may call themselves Drs., but take it from me, you will be ridiculed in your entire field.
The crazy whimsical creative outbursts
When May-Britt was still a little May, she had quite a lot of love for horses. Posters above the bed, Penny on the mat, and under every letter she wrote “with friendly horse greetings.” We find it cute now, but you would be surprised how many adults come up with a similar greeting. People who work for ‘something’ in sports like to use “with sporty regards” and people who work for ‘something’ in fashion throw “with stylish regards” at you. People, please stop this for God's sake. It makes no sense. Seriously, think about it, what is a greeting anyway and if that is already so vague, what on earth is a sporty greeting?! One that can run very fast? One that can volleyball super well? Just stop it already.
Characterful greetings in general
Sunny greetings, cosmopolitan greetings, fun and fabulous greetings, really we have all seen it come by but let me make it clear once and for all: GREETINGS HAVE NO CHARACTERISTICS.
The standard signature
You send me an email but don't want to take the effort to type me a personal closing? I don't want your friendly regards! My name is under it and my contact details, but I always put the closing separately underneath.
The iPhone signature
You send an email from your phone, do you leave the “sent from my iPhone” text underneath or not? I often do, so the person I email knows that I am not sitting behind my computer and that it is clear why I might be a bit short. But actually, it also has something silly. Here in the editorial office, opinions are divided. Some don't do it “because it looks so ugly” and the interns think it doesn't look professional when they send out a job application, for example. I agree with them. A friend of mine has changed the standard iPhone signature to “Autocorrected by my iPhone” and I find that incredibly funny for my private email. So, the choice is yours.
