6 ms·

Would you be offended if you found out that a hand-written note you received was actually written by someone's secretary? Because that's pretty standard stuff m

by ef4 12y ago

Would you be offended if you found out that a hand-written note you received was actually written by someone's secretary? Because that's pretty standard stuff most people wouldn't consider an ethical breach.

philh 12y ago
Today, no. But if I lived in a time when you could expect that a handwritten letter from the CEO was actually handwritten by the CEO, then maybe I would, because in that time, doing that would have been deceptive.
- kemayo 12y ago
  Did that time ever exist? I've gotten the impression that dictating a letter to one's secretary has been a pretty standard thing for at least the last hundred years.
  - Shivetya 12y ago
    Depends on context, but at a smaller company we did receive them during fund drives and such. Wasn't thrown on a copier or whatnot, but then he only had to do about two dozen. Slight variations but he did follow a script. So I would put it down to scale and what they feel is important. In that case it was for the local children's hospital. Secretaries are great when you need it written right, not only correct.
  - tejon 12y ago
    More like three or four hundred. And before that, replace "secretary" with "scribe."
anigbrowl 12y ago
Traditionally if you wrote a letter on someone's behalf (eg they instruct you by phone on what to say and to get it in the mail as fast as possible), you sign is 'PP J. Smith'. PP is short for 'per procurationem' meaning 'by the agency of'. You don't need to know Latin, just that 'PP [name]' means it was sent on someone's behalf. If I got a letter with no indicator and it turned out to be someone's secretary I wouldn't be offended exactly but it would make me a little wary until I was more familiar with the person and their working habits, eg maybe they have total trust in their secretary, but the secretary isn't familiar with this convention. Obviously I'm a bit old-fashioned about these things, bt these conventions came into being for good reason.

by ef4 12y ago

philh 12y ago

Today, no. But if I lived in a time when you could expect that a handwritten letter from the CEO was actually handwritten by the CEO, then maybe I would, because in that time, doing that would have been deceptive.

kemayo 12y ago
Did that time ever exist? I've gotten the impression that dictating a letter to one's secretary has been a pretty standard thing for at least the last hundred years.
- Shivetya 12y ago
  Depends on context, but at a smaller company we did receive them during fund drives and such. Wasn't thrown on a copier or whatnot, but then he only had to do about two dozen. Slight variations but he did follow a script. So I would put it down to scale and what they feel is important. In that case it was for the local children's hospital. Secretaries are great when you need it written right, not only correct.
- tejon 12y ago
  More like three or four hundred. And before that, replace "secretary" with "scribe."

anigbrowl 12y ago

Traditionally if you wrote a letter on someone's behalf (eg they instruct you by phone on what to say and to get it in the mail as fast as possible), you sign is 'PP J. Smith'. PP is short for 'per procurationem' meaning 'by the agency of'. You don't need to know Latin, just that 'PP [name]' means it was sent on someone's behalf. If I got a letter with no indicator and it turned out to be someone's secretary I wouldn't be offended exactly but it would make me a little wary until I was more familiar with the person and their working habits, eg maybe they have total trust in their secretary, but the secretary isn't familiar with this convention. Obviously I'm a bit old-fashioned about these things, bt these conventions came into being for good reason.