Good News:
From reading this, you will learn how our board email distribution list works
Bad News:
You will not be deleted from this list because you are an important part of YRDSB
How this whole thing got started?
It all got started when someone accidentally (some intentionally) clicked this infamous reply all button:
An important email was sent to all YRDSB staff using the Distribution List (DL). Someone wanted to ask a question to the original sender of this mass email, but instead of clicking reply, he/she clicked reply all. Which means instead of the original sender getting the reply, everyone who is employed by YRDSB (+ the sender of course) got it. Some people who are unfamiliar with the email system thought they were added to an email list. They decided to click reply all and say delete me hoping one of the thousands of YRDSB employees would be able to do something. More and more people thought this was the solution and everyone ended up with more of these "delete me please" emails.
Unfortunately, you cannot be deleted from this list as you are part of the YRDSB Group email list. If you click on reply all, you will see a bunch of names beside the To... and Cc... section. So, yes this includes your Superintendents, DLRT, Principals... will all have received your "Delete Please!" email. (* Now, before you accidentally click send, please close this page immediately)
How do I stop this?
Simple, do nothing.
Resist the temptation to click that reply all button. Telling everyone to stop using the reply all button by using the reply all button is counterproductive. (Yes, I probably did that which is why you ended up on this page... Sorry, I could not think of a witty comeback here)
I just sent a reply all email before reading this blog, what should I do?!?
- Do not send another reply all email saying you would like to retract or recall your email. (It doesn't work)
- When you receive X amount of kind or not-so-kind replies, enjoy them or just ignore them.
- When teachers from your own school approaches you about this on Monday... you can laugh it off and say you wanted to join the "Delete me please" fun.
What about all the delete me emails that I still see after this?
- Be nice, and just delete them. Trust me, they probably received a fair share of emails from a lot of people trying to explain to them what they just did. Yes, it's quite funny...
- Easy way to delete a bunch of emails, hold the shift button, click the top email then the last email. You have just highlighted all the delete me emails. Now click delete!
- If your browser is up to date, you will see an action drop down button in the top right hand corner. Click that, and choose "ignore conversation". That should help with the spam until the next one.
* If you knew all this and felt that I have wasted your time, I sincerely apologize and I invite you to read my other blog on Google Docs or Blogger to waste some more! It's the end of March Break after all :
http://googlewilclay.blogspot.ca
Some interesting stats about YRDSB staff:
Some interesting stats about YRDSB staff:
Updated stats for 2016/01/06 (840 hits in two hours, not bad!)


Excellent explanation. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh my, does this still happen in education organizations?!!! I thought that would be over by the time we were 10 years into the 21st century! Great idea to explain this to those who are, apparently, still unaware of Distribution Lists! Did you do a data analysis on how many YRDSB people read this blog? And, (chuckle, chuckle), did you send a link to this Blog via the same Distribution List that started the whole mess? That would be funny!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the late reply Rod, didn't have to use this blog for awhile until today. Yes, I did reply all with a link to this blog to the DL. It's quite entertaining. ;)
DeleteOf course, I should have said that my last comment was typed with a grin, and tongue in cheek!
ReplyDeleteThis is fun. Today's lunacy shows it's still necessary.
ReplyDeleteYour data have some oddities. I'm surprised that the ratio of iPhone to Android page views is 7.5:1! And the ratio of Windows to Mac is less than 2:1. Also, some of the numbers don't quite add up. The percentage of Macs + iPhones + iPods is less than the percentage of Safari + Mobile Safari views. Have you worked that out?
Anyway, I just wish the Board would recognize the high number of Apple users, especially among the more technologically-advanced (e.g. ABEL members), and give us technology that suits our practice, rather than tech that suits IT.
Those numbers were from two years ago and during March Break, so some of the numbers might be off. Got 840 hits today, and it's up to 43% iPhone, 28% Windows, 15% Mac, 6% Android, 2% iPad...
DeleteI'm sure the board would be all over Apple if the price was more competitive. As much as I love Apple products, they are not cheap. Hard to argue 1 Macbook is worth more than 4 Chromebooks. I'm just glad we are moving away from Microsoft and exploring other venues.