We all have that reflex of typing an address, scribbling a couple of lines, and clicking "send" without giving it much thought. Because, deep down, it's become commonplace. Yet, messaging apps, with their neatly arranged buttons and hidden options, rarely give us a helping hand to truly understand what we're doing. You think you're sending a simple message, but without realizing it, you might have accidentally included your boss, your ex, and that annoying colleague all in the same email thread. And that's the kind of thing nobody ever explains.
Emails are like work texts: one wrong move, one misplaced word, or one too many recipients can ruin the atmosphere in a team or just make you look like you don't know what you're doing. The worst part is that most mistakes come from details that the apps leave in the dark. You open your inbox, you see the "To," "Cc," and "Bcc" fields, but not a single line to explain what they're really for. You think you know, until the day you accidentally copy your entire address book into an email that was supposed to remain confidential.
The shortcuts we take without thinking
We've become speed demons. A quick "reply all," and it's done. But in our haste, we forget that a message requires some thought. Especially when multiple people are involved. Sending an email to your team, your partners, or a client isn't the same. And yet, we treat everything the same. That's where the problems begin.
You send a customer follow-up email and you want your colleague to respond without intervening. You put them in the visible CC field. Except that in reality, this colleague replies to everyone, thinking they're doing the right thing, and boom, you've opened the door to a pointless argument that should never have happened. Or even worse, you forget to hide sensitive email addresses and everyone ends up with a whole list of contacts they should never have seen.
Here we're touching on something fundamental, yet never clearly explained, like the famous difference between CC and BCC, which we think we understand but rarely fully master. And what about apps in all this? They leave you guessing. As if everyone is supposed to graduate knowing how to manage clean and effective digital communication.
It's all a matter of intention (and discretion)
The "CC" (carbon copy) is a bit like sending a text to one friend and then putting another friend on a loop so they can follow the story without necessarily replying. They see everything, they can react, but they usually stay discreet. It's useful, but you have to use it sparingly. Too many "CCs," and it becomes a cacophony. Everyone wants to comment, give their opinion, get involved. And in the end, you lose track of your original message.
The invisible carbon copy (ICC) is more insidious. You put someone in the loop, but no one knows they're there. It's like giving them headphones to listen to a conversation secretly. Handy when you need someone to monitor things without others knowing. Like your manager or a colleague who just needs to keep an eye on things. But it's also a double-edged sword. Used incorrectly, it can sow distrust or create misunderstandings.
What messaging apps will never tell you is that these tools aren't just technical options; they're signals. The choice to use CC or BCC is a message in itself. You show or hide. You include or exclude. And you need to understand that to avoid mishaps. More than anything, it forces you to think for a moment about who should see what, because once it's sent, there's no going back.
You learn more on the job than from tutorials
The truth is, everyone learns by making mistakes. You discover how to manage a mailing list after forgetting to use BCC for a mass email. You understand the impact of "reply all" once the boss has read a comment that wasn't even meant for him. That's just how it is. And since apps just give you the buttons without explaining how to use them, well, you do the best you can.
And it's the same with automatic signatures, attachments we forget, those we send at midnight without thinking about their impact. There's no universal instruction manual for that. These are little rules you pick up with experience. The trouble is, some mistakes are unforgivable. And sometimes, they haunt you for a long time. You can claim it was an oversight, an extra click, or a moment of inattention, but the image you project remains.
Emails are more than just a message, they're an image
What people rarely realize is that their messages say as much about them as their manner of speaking in meetings or their attire for a date. A well-crafted, clear message that respects the recipients leaves a strong impression. Conversely, a carelessly sent email, riddled with errors, people copied who shouldn't be there, or a missing attachment, gives an impression of negligence, even if that's not the case.
Don't think that apps are going to educate you on this. They're there to transmit information, not to teach you how to do it well. So it's up to each individual to take the time, to think a little before pressing the button. And above all, to stop thinking it's just an email. Because often, it's much more than that. And if you still doubt it, reread your last email, look at who you included, and ask yourself if you couldn't have done better.
