“Digital etiequette: What your email sign-off says about you”

This may seem like a trivial thing… and seriously, it probably is… however I’ve actually been giving thought to the subject for some time. So when The Week came out with this article about digital etiquette and how you sign your email, it brought the topic to the fore for me. Here are a few of their examples and what they mean from worst to best:

10. “Cordially,”
What it means: Cordial comes from the Latin cordialis, and means “of or for the heart.” Some etymology manuals suggest it means something closer to “sincere.”
Pros and cons: Strictly based on the definition, “cordially” would appear to possess personal undertones. And yet, it can also come off as stiff and formal, making it ideal for business correspondence and not much else. Assuming you’re not an automaton, there are better options further down this list.
Typically used by: Job-hunters sending “thank you for meeting with me” notes. Nigerian email scammers.

6. “Warmly,”
What it means: “With warmth,” but in adverb form.
Pros and cons: It’s succinct and good natured. Think “regards” drained of its latent nastiness. Richard Kirshenbaum, chief executive of the ad firm Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, once told The New York Times that “warmly” felt like a comfortable middle between “love” and “sincerely.” “I want to convey a sense of warmth and passion, but also be appropriate,” he said.
Typically used by: Ad execs. Despondent millennials. Facebook “friends” asking for a favor.

3. (None)
What it means: ….
Pros and cons: In this case, silence can speak volumes. Just bear in mind that you can trigger a variety of thought patterns, often simultaneously:
• “I have no time for nonsense.”
• “I don’t want to waste your time with nonsense.”
• “I’m too indecisive to think about a proper sign-off.”
• “I am possibly a mean person.”
• “You’re on thin ice at the moment.”
Typically used by: Your boss when you request extra vacation time. Frank Sinatra, apparently.

The article slams one I sometimes use — Cheers!: “Signing emails this way makes it sound like you really need a drink. Esquire’s Rule №351 states that ‘Americans who say ‘cheers’ are pretentious twits.’” Oh, sure, that’s how I want to come across… as a pretentious alcoholic twit!

I most often use Best, but even that isn’t perfect per the article: “According to Lifehacker, ‘best’ is friendly with natural undertones, and like most sign-offs on this list, is ideal for emails with people you’re not too familiar with.” But what about people I am familiar with?

Honestly what I’ve been thinking about doing is use Peace because that actually means something to me. I know it makes me sound like an old hippie, but I am an old hippie. But I can’t imagine using that when interacting with someone in business affairs as they’d probably feel like they could screw the Peacenik six ways to Sunday.

You can read the article to see what their #1 choice is. How about you? How do you sign your email? What does is say about you?

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