Courtesy of a reply

If someone writes a personal e-mail to me, I will always give a reply. It can be a short reply like "ok" or "thank you" to acknowledge receiving an information that does not require any action (which is quite common).

If someone ask me my advice on a complicated matter, my usual reply is "let me think about it". I will give a more detailed reply in a few days time, unless I overlook it. In many cases, I will answer some of the questions immediately, and answer the rest later.

Some people are fair and considerate to me. They spend time to think about their issue and put it down in clear terms. I will try to help them as best as I can.

Other people are quite inconsiderate. They do not make the effort to write them their issue clearly to me and expect me to spend a lot of time to understand their question and find the answer. I usually give them a short reply, "Sorry, I cannot help you".

A few people send me materials to post in my blog quite regularly. They do not expect a reply from me for each e-mail. But I do send them a reply occasionally to acknowledge that I appreciate their contribution. They can also see my indirect reply, when their contribution appears in my blog.

I want to encourage people to give a reply. It is only courteous.

Tan Kin Lian