Email and the REPLY Button: "Anything you say can, and will

[rustytools]

Email is used all the time and is a great tool. However recent events have brought problem to light.

Most people are happy to simply press the REPLY button, send EVERYTHING back to the sender with the addition of a reply. At present, file size is not the problem. The problem is who else might recieve information or opinions expressed by you in a "confidential" email.

As I was looking through my defence package for my migratory bird hunting charge, in the evidence section was a whole wad of emails, the contents of which were not meant for RWED, but were aquired by people simply pressing the REPLY button. So, not only do RWED have info and opinions from some rather authoritative persons that they shouldn't, but it is being used as evidence, and may also be taken out of context.

Does this matter to you? It might, if you are in any position of authority or influence.

Let's say someone under you sends you an email with a question about a technical issue, say a maintenance procedure or something. "Well, back then we just..." or maybe "If I was you I would..." Hey, your a nice guy and try to help out a friend in need right? Now something bad happens, and the investigators start going over the chain of events that led to a mishap. They might find your advice or past experience (which is recorded electronically because you used the REPLY option) as a contributing factor in the inccident, and then it is simply a question of liability and who is going to pay for the ensuing lawsuite.