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Formal Much..?

So when you are writing an email, a comment, an anything internet’ty how formal do you get? Me I will sometimes sign off with a pleasantry and an M. I often start with a Hey You {insert name here} followed by the message when commenting or facebook’ing or whatever. However I have never, ever got as formal as all this… 

Sirs, We are interested in this property. Are there any sheds. Are there any flat areas on the property. Are there any shelters for four horses. Is it a long term lease. Thank you Yours faithfully F…

I received that enquiry today in my in-box from an online form generated thing and just had to laugh. Firstly, my entire division is made up of women. Sirs seems kinda inappropriate. And shouldn’t they be question marks, no full stops. And doesn’t it just conjure up the most wonderful images of an elderly gentlemen who has grasped this new fangled technological advancement and maintains that correspondence must be appropriately addressed and signed off. 
No matter what.
It’s kind of like my Mum when she first learnt to send text messages. It was always like this;

Dear Melissa, Please come to dinner on Sunday night. Love you. From Mum

So tell me. How formal is too formal for you when it comes to internet correspondence? Do you know someone who does this? 
{image from here – guess where} 

Suger

6 responses to “Formal Much..?”

  1. life in a pink fibro Avatar
    life in a pink fibro

    Any initial correspondence should be formal – Dear So-and-So, I need a resting place for my carriage and four horses, Yours sincerely Mr Snob-Hyphen. After that, you take your cues from the person you're contacting. But what gets me is the people who start signing off with a x (kiss) after the third email. WTF? We don't know each other, please don't kiss me. RegardsA :-)

    Reply
  2. Cheeseboy Avatar
    Cheeseboy

    I think just being Australian makes you more formal and refined than us dopey Americans.

    Reply
  3. drx Avatar
    drx

    I have the opposite problem with my mum – she contracts text messages to the point where they take a little deciphering, eg: "hi rb cn u pls gv me cal @ hm re ur nxt vst. lookng fwd 2 cing u. luv ma"

    Reply
  4. Vicki Avatar
    Vicki

    My emails are normally informal and littered with abbreviated swear words and poor spelling. I have started to contact potential employers by email and I find it very awkward. Do I sick with the normal "Hi" or go with the "Dear Sirs" formality? I have no idea and, since I haven't had much success looking for a job, I must be getting it wrong.

    Reply
  5. PinkPatentMaryJanes Avatar
    PinkPatentMaryJanes

    I'm very formal in a work context – you know, Kindest regards etc. No "Hi" unless I know them – hello there if I've no idea if they're male, female or otherwise.But, oh bless, that email of yours is ever-so-cute. Give me too formal over too casual any day. I'm with LIAPF on the kisses – it's part and parcel of my job so it seems so I end up Cheers-ing and xx with the rest of them…Cheers, xx Sirs…

    Reply
  6. Rianna Avatar
    Rianna

    Haha! your Mum! My Mum uses the most chaotic abbreviations – ones that cool kids dont even use because they make no sense. I often think it would be easier reading brail than understanding her responses. But she always says LUV U!

    Reply

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