Old & Grouchy? (tripod question)

1. compusolver
   Member

   
   Maybe I'm just getting old and grouchy (my wife just looked over my shoulder and said, "No 'maybe' about it!"), sigh..
   
   Anyway, here's my gripe - I just got an anonymous email - well, it has a reply email address, but no name, no introduction, no nothing except a statement that they would like some info from me...and, well I'll paste it here:
   
   

   Would like to know the studio tripod that you referred to on a video forum that I saw your post, which is heavy and releases easily with one knob. Thanks for the info.

   
   
   Now I've been getting one, two or three of these things each day - which seems to be more than the number of posts this forum is getting lately - but back to my gripe...
   
   If you'd run out of gas would you just walk up to the nearest house, knock on the door and when it opened, say.."Have you got a gallon of gas?"
   
   I think not. Back in the sixties, if we were to do such a thing, it would probably go like this, "Hi, I'm Hank and I was driving from Detroit to St. Louis and I forgot to fill up at the last stop and I now find myself out of gas. I wonder if I could trouble you for a gallon?"
   
   Imagine - all that politeness for thirty cents worth of gas!
   
   Have things really changed all that much? Would you really just go, "knock, knock - have you got some gas?" ???
   
   I wouldn't mind getting an email that went something like, "Hi, my name's Tom and I run a wedding video service in LA [name of service goes here]. I saw your post about......."
   
   So, if you've sent me an email or filled out the contact form on one of my websites lately, and you didn't get a reply - it's probably not my Spam Catcher. It's just that I'm getting older and grouchier.

   Posted 5 years ago #

2. jetson
   Member

   
   Speaking of old (but not so much grouchy)....I'm going to be a grandpa in 4 months (I'm 44, never thought it would happen!)
   
   I couldn't agree with you more. It takes a little more time to type a genuinely polite question versus a generic, impersonal one. It seems that "netiquette" comes in so many flavors these days - reminds me of the Wild Wild West! On the other hand - even well written messages may not convey the proper emotion depending on the situation (without face to face, things can get misinterpreted.)
   
   Although in cases like this one, you are correct - people need to spend the extra 30 seconds to add some courtesy and politeness when they are seeking assistance. Asking a stranger for any level of personal committment requires a little extra effort indeed.
   
   Kenny

   Posted 5 years ago #

3. compusolver
   Member

   
   Congratulations, Kenny!
   
   Once you see how great grandkids are, you'll wonder why you ever bothered having kids - just cut out the "middle man" and go straight to grandkids! X-D

   Posted 5 years ago #

4. RossTokosch
   Member

   
   I entirely here. I try to be as forward and polite as possible when I write emails to whoever. But, from the other side of the spectrum, not everyone wants to hear your life story. If a busy person opens up an email about a job opening and sees:
   
   " greetings,
   
   thank you for taking the time to read my email. I saw your posting on craigslist.com and I fit the qualifications you are looking for. My name is Bob Loblaw, and I've had a passion for video production for years now. If you could please get back to me, it would be greatly appreciated.
   
   Thanks again
   
   Bob Loblaw. "
   
   They might get passed the first sentence and just click "delete." Some people just want the bare minimum. So it's possible that the people who sent you these emails are just trying not to be a pest.
   
   Just what I sort of noticed.
   
   Ross

   Posted 5 years ago #

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