I'm Sure It's Been Answered Before . . .

[Pete Incaviglia]

. . . But do you respond to reader emails when they send them to you personally to comment, agree with, diasgree with or compliment a column?

I ask because I usually do, but now I've written one that's drummed up a ton of email feedback. And I'm like "man, this is a lot of responding."

 

[Steak Snabler]

Always try to respond to every email about something I've written. Especially if it's a column, you wrote it to elicit a reader response, and you're getting it ...

 

[JakeandElwood]

You can write one response and bcc it if a lot of the messages are similar.

 

[Mark2010]

I try to respond. Never got that many emails, so it wasn't a time issue.

 

[Some Guy]

You should always respond to email, especially if people are at least being cordial in their disagreement.

I will admit that, on the occasions in which I've been swamped with e-mail, some of it will fall through the cracks.

The cc idea is a good one.

 

[Sp0rtScribe]

I always respond, unless it's some blabbering idiot who is clearly hung over or something. But, good or bad, I respond 99% of the time just so they know I care and appreciate the time it took to write.

 

[Rockbottom]

I always did, too, and was careful not to engage someone in a silly argument if they disagreed. Simply said "I appreciate your opinion and you taking the time to write." To me, anyone who takes the couple minutes to reach out to you deserves the return.

RB

 

[mediaguy]

I always respond in person. Start it off with "Thanks for the e-mail," even if they ripped you a new one. And fully expect that portions of it will appear as coming from you on a message board within minutes of you sending it ...

 

[JBHawkEye]

I always respond in person. Start it off with "Thanks for the e-mail," even if they ripped you a new one. And fully expect that portions of it will appear as coming from you on a message board within minutes of you sending it ...

And either a.) be taken out of context or b.) have words mysteriously inserted to change the meeting.

 

[write then drink]

I always respond in person.

so you actually go to the person's house?

 

[SixToe]

I always put "Thanks for taking the time to read the Podunk News" and then hit a specific point or two in agreement or disagreement.

If you hit them with a little kindness at first it might blunt the fire if they're pissed off.

 

[HejiraHenry]

About once a year I get "astroturfed" about something, usually a coverage issue. And then every once in a while something in my column may touch a nerve, good or bad.

When I start to get more than 4 or 5 e-mails on the same basic thing, I will spend some time drafting a common response and just use that to reply.

When I get e-mails that are both anonymous and critical, I give them the standard "so long and thanks for the fish" response.

I try to avoid getting in back-and-forths, and never with anonymous e-mails.

 

[mediaguy]

Well played, Write Then Drink. Who am I, Doyel?