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The ultimate office sin!

 
Published Aug. 10, 2015

The office workers of America are guilty of a grievous sin. I've done it, and chances are, so have you. I'm talking, of course, about the gluttonous use of the exclamation point in a work email. First, let's identify the transgressors.

New hires. They are often eager to show their earnestness, promise and I'm-just-so-happy-to-be-here attitude. The exclamation mark comes out in full force in their emails. Some poor souls even do this when communicating with superiors. At first, newbies get a pass. But the longer you use 'em, the harder to lose 'em.

Reciprocal users. When these well-meaning workers see ! in an email to themselves, they can't help but put some in their response. After all, one good turn deserves another. Or maybe they simply feel obligated.

Excited closers. They feel the need to add a little more oomph to their sign-off. "Thanks" and "Many thanks" are the signatures most seen abetting the exclamation point. When did those words become so weak they needed a crutch to steady them? And shouldn't gratitude include at least some level of humility?

The sarcastic. These clever folks use exclamation marks under the guise of sincerity, eagerness, and joy, though the real intended usage is mostly sardonic. Personally, I applaud the usage in these instances.

Human exclamation points. These people are chipper and peppy in email and real life. They not only use exclamation marks, they embody them.

So how can we get clean? There's only one way. We have to go cold turkey. Cut it off at the root, before the practice has a chance to grow into a weed that chokes the professional life out of your email communications. Once you quit, you'll notice that beyond making things seem louder than they need to be, there's not much benefit to using them.

Daniel DiPrinzio is director of communications at Arcadia University. He wrote this for the Philadelphia Inquirer.