-CC: e-mail field for the sycophant-

Now, babies, I know there are those out there who use the CC (carbon copy) field for good and not for evil, but my recent experience has turned me off to the line that brings other mailboxes into a conversation meant for two.

I'll stand by any of my work e-mails, at any time. But trust works both ways; when you call me, you have faith that the hollow sound you hear on the other end is the revolving door I'm spinning through, not a speakerphone with a transcriptionist and the Secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries listening in the wings. So why would you reply to my email with an accusation simultaneously sent to high ranking college officials?

If you must bring the bosses in, you'd better be damn sure all negotiations had been exhausted. This just causes more work for everyone, and you know what else? Possibly another record in your file you'll have to explain come evaluation time.

No, this won't effect me at all. I'm the only one who knows the ordering codes, and I've seen how you spent the petty cash. Trust me, it doesn't match your complexion.

Let us resolve problems here, in this department, and try to make it through a full work day without our fingers poised over the CC field. Because, let's face it: there's nowhere to go but down to the BCC (blind carbon copy) field, and no one wants that.