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Slack does this and I don't like it. I have Hungarian colleagues and some (but not all!) of them have entered the family name first. I always feel awkward resp
by yreg 3y ago
Slack does this and I don't like it. I have Hungarian colleagues and some (but not all!) of them have entered the family name first.
I always feel awkward responding to them, because I don't know if I'm typing `Hello $FIRSTNAME` or `Hello $LASTNAME`.
- efitz 3y agoThis is why you should always ask for a preferred name. There’s lots of reasons why people don’t use their legal given name; I use my middle name and get annoyed when forced to use my first name. Many societies (ex: Thailand) use nicknames instead of legal given names.
- manlobster 3y agoYou can do `Hello @TheirSlackHandle`.
- leokennis 3y agoThis is what I do too. Basically, we are deflecting the awkwardness and/or blame to the software.
- deathanatos 3y agoAssuming the other end has filled in what Slack calls Display Name (which I interpret as "preferred name", is heavily implied by Slack's UI, and I think most people will too) … then you've addressed them as they prefer. (And if not, they can change it, and it instantly updates!) I mean otherwise it's like literally any other communication medium, and you'll have to either take a culturally-appropriate respectful best effort guess at a preferred address, or just ask.
- KptMarchewa 3y agoOr just "Hello, $reason_for_this_message"
- yreg 3y agoThat's less friendly.
- kuchenbecker 3y agoYour director appreciates brevity over friendship.
- yreg 3y agoNo he doesn't.
- richie_adler 3y agoReplace "Hello, $reason_for_this_message" with "Hello, $acceptable_level_of_polite_preamble; $reason_for_this_message", then.
- yreg 3y agoI don't get what problem do all of you have with me saying "Hello Richie" to my colleagues.
- qwytw 3y agoOr 'Hello Comrade Software Engineer/{x}' if you want to make it extra awkward.
- vxNsr 3y agoI find that annoying when colleagues do that because it double notifies me, once for the message and once for the @
- GoblinSlayer 3y agoDon't say hello, just state your business.
- master-lincoln 3y agoYou are being downvoted, but I wonder if people really appreciate the politeness on automated communication. If no person interacted with me, why would I want to be addressed respectfully? I think this mainly serves corporations which can humanize automated communication to make customers feel more cared about (by simulating interaction like a real human would initiate)
- Izkata 3y agoIt depends on how it's done. If it's part of the real message then it's easily ignored and no harm done, if it's a separate message then it wastes the time of whoever is on the receiving end (especially if they wait for a response before sending the real message).
- yreg 3y agoI believe it makes the experience more pleasant (at least for neurotypical people), but it'simportant to not overdo it. It shouldn't add friction or subtract from clarity.
- throwaway2037 3y agoI here this trope so much. It is tiring and closed-minded. Are you Western culture and male? Probably. I have seen whole blog posts dedicated to this matter. Really? This matter is so stressful that people need to write 100s of words about it? Sheesh. Are you aware that it is polite to start a convo with people from South Asia with a small greeting? They wait for you to ack. If you don't ack, they will not continue. It is an important part of intercultural communication to continuously adapt to different communication styles. Why don't people write a tiny chatbot that applies to certain users? When the person says: "Hello." The bot can reply: "Hello!" It seems easy enough.
- 3y ago
- eptcyka 3y agoIt doesn't matter, it should always be `Hello $theirPreferredName`.
- Kiro 3y agoIt should not. It should be "hello" and nothing else.