Email disclaimer: Difference between revisions

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{{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:
{{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). It can be long, or short; sombre or witty; comprehensive or general, but it will be there: the [[email disclaimer]]: an extract of text, appended to every outbound communication, canvassing any [[one or more]] of the following subjects:
*Its [[confidentiality]]
*Its [[confidentiality]]
*Its [[copyright]]
*Its [[copyright]]
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*Its epidemiological virulence;
*Its epidemiological virulence;
*The receiver’s moral duty to destroy it if sent in error.
*The receiver’s moral duty to destroy it if sent in error.
 
It will also wax lengthily about what it is ''not'': a subject, of course, on which any [[lawyer]] can joyfully extemporise for as long as there are cattle still out on manoeuvres:  
An email disclaimer will also wax lengthily about what it is ''not'':  
**Professional advice;
**Professional advice;
**An offer or solicitation of an offer — and IN ANY CASE NOT TO RESIDENTS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE;
**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”.)
**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.  
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 or bored 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?
Which begs the question: what do we think we are achieving with an [[email disclaimer]]? Which part of [[Chicken-licken|the sky would fall upon our heads]] were it not there?
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{{egg}}
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Revision as of 16:49, 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). It can be long, or short; sombre or witty; comprehensive or general, but it will be there: the email disclaimer: an extract of 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.

It will also wax lengthily about what it is not: a subject, of course, on which any lawyer can joyfully extemporise for as long as there are cattle still out on manoeuvres:

    • 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 or bored 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?