20070815

Shattered illusions...

Have you ever hit send on an email or a txt and then suddenly got the feeling that you've sent it to the wrong person? It’s often not too bad because you can just follow up with an email saying "Sorry, I sent that to the wrong person, please delete it." But it’s those times when the content is about (or relates to) the person you’ve accidentally sent it when the fear of consequence sets in.

It’s an easy mistake when you have a few different people with the same first name in your address book. It’s an easy mistake when you’re in a hurry. It’s an easy mistake if you’ve had a few drinks and you’ve got clumsy fingers. But this mistake can be very revealing. Once it is read there can be no turning back. I have had this happen to me once before. I have sent a txt to the wrong person. Luckily what I had said was truthful. However, it was just not an appropriate time to say it. Then, on the weekend, I had that same fear creep into my mind after sending off an email and not receiving a response. Once again, my fear was unfounded when I re-checked my sent items, but it’s one of life’s hazards in this immediate information age. Isn’t it?

12 comments:

Monty said...

OMG! Funny you mention that...it just happened to me! Spooky! :-)

Canberrabiker said...

mmm, yes has happened to me once at work, but was able to take the moral high ground. I'd asked for comments on a draft document, someone sent me their comments two months (!) late. I thought I'd sent an e-mail to my assistant telling her to ignore this guy's comments because they were so late, but no I'd hit reply, not forward. Funny though, he never complained.

Darth Gateau said...

the reply not forward thing is the worst!

TOH sent a ranting email on to a colleague in response to a mail from his boss - he'd actually hit reply instead. he nearly threw up on the spot and began to draft his resignation. he then realised his boss was out but her PA was around and he could talk nicely to her to delete the mail...
phew.

seymour said...

so the "my bed, tonight" text wasn't for me?

mykel said...

yep i've had that happen. sent a terse e-mail at work to one person or so i thought but had actually sent it to the entire council i work for. luckily it was about paper wastage in the office so wasn't too bad but still not what i had intended

Sh@ney said...

I always save my sent messages now. One mistake is enough to throw caution my way!

Anonymous said...

you made my stomach turn just on the mere suggestion of it.

KPB said...

that's weird, that last post was me.

Christerbjorn said...

I remember the Sunday morning well, I was sending pics of my erect penis to my then partner, the name started with J, but one slip of the finger and it went to a receptionist at the medical practice that I worked for (Name also started with J). I could have been fired for sexual harassment, it was in hindsight a very stupid thing to do and I've learned my lesson. Fortunately the receptionist was very cool about it and as it turned out she was disapointed that I wasn't interested in her.

Guy In London said...

Christerbjorn - thas so funny I sprayed my screen with beer & peanuts!

Muz, now I've gone private mail me at guy-in-london@hotmail.co.uk if you want an invite - I can't find your e-mail address.

GIL

puppet said...

freudian slip perhaps?

while we may not have consciously wanted to sent that email or text to that person perhaps par of us wanted to do that.

i remember once saying out a firend lets go out for a beer i had just broken up with my ex and didnt want to think about him at all - so we went for a beer at the oxford. low and behold my ex was there. I was so flustered and quickly left after an arkward chat - its only later that i realsied that on thursdays he usually goes to the oxford, its a pretty big oversite to make for a detailed boy such as myself to make.

Thomas / @5ifthproject said...

Love your blog, caption is cool.