Email disclaimer: Difference between revisions

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A window into the soul of your correspondent (or, where harnessed to the [[great steampunk machine]] of a multinational corporation, that entity's blackened soul). his kind of {{tag|disclaimer}} may canvass any [[one or more]] of the following subjects:
{{g}}A window into the soul of your correspondent (or, where harnessed to the [[great steampunk machine]] of a multinational corporation, that entity’s blackened soul). An extract of plain text, appended to every outbound communication, canvassing any [[one or more]] of the following subjects:
*Its [[confidentiality]]
*Its [[copyright]]
*Its [[privilege]] (despite its protestations, misdirected emails will rarely be legally privileged)
*Its potential inaccuracy
*Its epidemiological virulence;
*The receiver’s moral duty to destroy it if sent in error.


*[[confidentiality]]
An email disclaimer will also wax lengthily about what it is ''not'':  
*[[copyright]]
**Professional advice;
*[[privilege]] (despite its protestations, almost no emails will ever be legally privileged)
**An offer or solicitation of an offer — and IN ANY CASE NOT TO RESIDENTS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE;
*It might not be accurate
**A recommendation to do anything or not do anything (Stop and think about this juicy [[double negative]] for a while: “We are ''not'' telling you ''not'' to do anything”.)
*It might contain viruses
*An appeal to destroy it if sent in error.
*Things it isn't:
**Professional advice
**An offer or solicitation of an offer
**A recommendation to do anything or not do anything (Stop and think about this juicy [[double negative]] for a while: “We are not telling you not to do anything”.)
 
 
{{Box|The information contained in this e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. Access, copying or re-use of the e-mail or any attachment, or any information contained therein, by any other person is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient please return the e-mail to the sender and delete it from your computer. Although we attempt to sweep e-mail and attachments for viruses, we do not guarantee that either are virus-free and accept no liability for any damage sustained as a result of viruses.}}
 
{{box|This e-mail and any attachment(s) are intended only for use by the addressee[[(s)]] and may contain privileged [[and/or]] confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, any dissemination, distribution taking of any action, printing or copying of this e-mail [[and/or]] its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify us, and delete the e-mail immediately.}}


All of this served up in the certain knowledge no person having enough adult literacy to comprehend an email disclaimer would — or even could — be dim-witted enough to ever read it, much less care about what it says.


Which begs the question: what do we think we are achieving with an email disclaimer? Which part of the sky would fall upon our heads were it not there?
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Revision as of 16:43, 22 October 2019

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A window into the soul of your correspondent (or, where harnessed to the great steampunk machine of a multinational corporation, that entity’s blackened soul). An extract of plain text, appended to every outbound communication, canvassing any one or more of the following subjects:

  • Its confidentiality
  • Its copyright
  • Its privilege (despite its protestations, misdirected emails will rarely be legally privileged)
  • Its potential inaccuracy
  • Its epidemiological virulence;
  • The receiver’s moral duty to destroy it if sent in error.

An email disclaimer will also wax lengthily about what it is not:

    • Professional advice;
    • An offer or solicitation of an offer — and IN ANY CASE NOT TO RESIDENTS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE;
    • A recommendation to do anything or not do anything (Stop and think about this juicy double negative for a while: “We are not telling you not to do anything”.)

All of this served up in the certain knowledge no person having enough adult literacy to comprehend an email disclaimer would — or even could — be dim-witted enough to ever read it, much less care about what it says.

Which begs the question: what do we think we are achieving with an email disclaimer? Which part of the sky would fall upon our heads were it not there?