When a person sends an email to multiple people, I tend to notice the order of the recipients

[Z-oo31]

And I always try to analyze why the recipients were entered in that order. It's one of those things that I think everyone notices but are afraid to ever ask the sender because it might bring to light a previously subconscious preference to the forefront and make the sender realize what he or she has been doing.

Here's some common questions:

- Does being listed last mean that the sender thinks you are the lesser friend or least relevant person?
- Who's more likely to know the answer or get the job done?
- Does the order reflect the boss's favorite and who's more likely to get a promotion?

 

[YoungFa]

The order does not matter. You know you are left out when you find out you did not get an email that everyone else got.

 

[tadaima]

This is why you bcc.

 

[signal]

The order is irrelevant. No one is "afraid to ask" this it would just be totally embarrassing.

 

[Galkinator]

Question #4 - are you really overthinking this whole thing?

 

[Deleted member 8861]

It's really a random thing.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

Do yourself a favour and stop over-analysing. You'll drive yourself mad if you continue down this path.

 

[Tecnniqe]

Our mail system sorts named by the alphabet automatically when there is multiple recipients.
Problem solved.

Also it was never a problem, if you didn't get the mail, then it would be a "problem".

 

[IDreamOfHime]

I go by alphabetical order

 

[Alienous]

I've never thought about this but I will now.

 

[BossAttack]

Da fuck? I like to think I overanalyze too much, but this is a whole other level. I've literally never thought about this.

 

[Kurita]

You got the email, calm down

 

[The Waistcoat]

I go by the order of who I remember needs to be on the email.

Honestly, when I see my name in a multi-person email I'm more concerned about what has gone wrong and what I need to do to make sure it doesn't come crashing down.

If someone has put my name last on an email to get at me in some way, then they've got bigger issues to deal with than I do.

 

[Soda]

OP, no one puts meaning into this except for you. Stop worrying about it.

 

[Z-oo31]

It's really a random thing.

Click to shrink...

It really isn't. Even in cases where the contents of the email is equally applicable to all the recepients, I've noticed that certain people always seem to be listed first, and others listed last.

It's like if I were to ask a person: "Who do you love in life?"

And the person's immediate answer is: "My wife and kids. My parents. My siblings."

It doesn't mean that they don't love their parents or siblings, but they're not the first people to come to mind.

To a lesser magnitude, this is the same thing happening with the order of email recepients.

 

[Griegous]

I go by the order Gmail suggests the recipients to me.

If you analyzed one of my mails you would have wasted 15 minutes of your life. Just saying...

 

[Kyoufu]

They hate your guts. Probably spent a few minutes mulling over including you or not.

 

[mugurumakensei]

The only thing I put thought into when emailing is cc vs to. If you're cc'd, I'm keeping you aware cause it might impact you. If the email is directly addressed to you, im actively seeking an answer from you. Order doesn't really matter. If I want someone to answer first, I'm going to address him or her directly in the email.

 

[The Masked Mufti]

Bruh chill the fuck out. It's literally the smallest molehill to make a mountain of.

 

[signal]

It really isn't. Even in cases where the contents of the email is equally applicable to all the recepients, I've noticed that certain people always seem to be listed first, and others listed last.

It's like if I were to ask a person: "Who do you love in life?"

And the person's immediate answer is: "My wife and kids. My parents. My siblings."

It doesn't mean that they don't love their parents or siblings, but they're not the first people to come to mind.

To a lesser magnitude, this is the same thing happening with the order of email recepients.

Click to shrink...

It's not random but you're suffering from neurosis if you think most people put any thought of who they like into the order.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Yeah you're overthinking this.
When I send emails to multiple people the order is always super random and it certainly isn't some kind of ranking from person I like the most to the one I like the least. More often than not it's just alphabetical because I just go through my contacts.

 

[FormatCompatible]

Honestly I think that is a weirdly paranoic thing to get hang up on, when I send emails to multiple people I typically don't go thinking that ''this person is more important to me so they go first'' nor the opposite when someone sends me a email.

 

[D65]

You are so insecure to even think this....

 

[EndlessNever]

Be thankful you got the email in the first place.

You go and ask why you were last in the order or something and you won't actually have to worry about it anymore. Because you won't get the email.

 

[dreams]

If it's always in a certain order that you've noticed, they probably just have an address list that they use and that's just how they were added into the list. There is rarely an order of "I like this person way more than this person." You are definitely over thinking here.

 

[Navidson REC]

I've never paid attention to this.

Doubt I ever will.

 

[Zombine]

To this day I'm still upset that my best friend had me in his number 4 spot on his MySpace top 8.

 

[Walter White Walker]

You're putting a lot more thought into this than whoever sent the email.

 

[Anjoys]

 

[Joni]

I start typing a name, and then Outlook suggests me some contacts. And while I might have wanted to put John Andrews first, I might put Kyle Johnson first in because he pops up earlier.

 

[Cocolina]

I've noticed this too OP but only with people who I have unrequited feelings for

 

[Eumi]

OP do you actually go out of your way to rank people by how much you like them every time you send an email?

 

[Z-oo31]

I'm actually quite surprised by the answers I'm receiving here.

Much of communication is non-explicit and non-direct, and can manifest itself in lots of subtle ways. This is merely one of them.

 

[Cocolina]

OP do you actually go out of your way to rank people by how much you like them every time you send an email?

Click to shrink...

The idea that someone more important to you will be the first person your mind goes to as an invitee is a pretty sound hypothesis. Don't be so harsh on OP. They are obviously referring to unconscious bias.

 

[____]

Honestly the first time this has ever crossed my mind. OP you trippin.

 

[Eumi]

The idea that someone more important to you will be the first person your mind goes to as an invitee is a pretty sound hypothesis. Don't be so harsh on OP. They are obviously referring to unconscious bias.

Click to shrink...

There are dozens of things more likely to influence the order you list recipients in than how much you like them. Attempting to use the order to try and figure out how much someone likes you over others is a pretty pointless exercise when it's much more likely to be one of countless other reasons, subconscious or not.

 

[julia crawford]

I admit my crushes are always first.

 

[DonShula]

When sending email to a group of people that I often email, I actually change the order of the names each time. I do this purposely.

 

[Deleted member 9986]

Hahahaha what. I am never conscious of the order so your analysis would be based on nothing.

 

[Slacker247]

...

Crap!

I knew someone out there was looking and it had to be you OP. Honestly, I have at times reordered the list for this exact reason. It is admittedly a very ridiculous thing but you've just proved my thoughts and actions.

Personally, yeah I've reordered sometimes in terms of general importance or expectations of a response. Mostly I ignore it, but definitely has crossed my mind a few times.

Is it overanalyzing? Probably. But people are weird. I am weird!

 

[adrem007]

. It's one of those things that I think everyone notices but are afraid to ever ask the sender because it might bring to light a previously subconscious preference to the forefront and make the sender realize what he or she has been doing.

Click to shrink...

If you wanna be weird fine but keep me out of it man

 

[Cocolina]

There are dozens of things more likely to influence the order you list recipients in than how much you like them. Attempting to use the order to try and figure out how much someone likes you over others is a pretty pointless exercise when it's much more likely to be one of countless other reasons, subconscious or not.

Click to shrink...

Its more important to observe patterns to test hypotheses than it is to be dismissive or to downright not think them up in the first place. What OP shows is that they are at least willing to stump up an idea, no matter how neurotic it seems to some of the other posters who don't consider things like this. No-one ever said it was the factor, just a factor. And any factor is worth exploring and discussing.

 

[TheBeardedOne]

Don't read into it so much. Honestly. I've sent many emails to multiple recipients and the order just becomes habit. It doesn't mean you like one person better than another.

 

[Dennis8K]

It is all about the prestige and status, my friend.

It is how we gauge the hierarchy.

I see your name last, you the basic bitch of the group.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

I think people do not realize they are sending a reply to all versus reply to one person.

 

[Z-oo31]

...

Crap!

I knew someone out there was looking and it had to be you OP. Honestly, I have at times reordered the list for this exact reason. It is admittedly a very ridiculous thing but you've just proved my thoughts and actions.

Personally, yeah I've reordered sometimes in terms of general importance or expectations of a response. Mostly I ignore it, but definitely has crossed my mind a few times.

Is it overanalyzing? Probably. But people are weird. I am weird!

Click to shrink...

You're not weird. I don't think I'm weird.

People who are in tune with the subtleties of communication have higher emotional intelligence.

An IRL equivalent of "email recepient ordering" is the amount of eye contact given to others when a single person speaks to a group of people. I've noticed that the best bosses and leaders give everyone in the room equal amounts of eye contact (regardless of things like seniority) to make them feel part of a team. While lesser leaders will just look at a few people and ignore the others.

 

[ParanormalFupa]

This is sad.

 

[nekkid]

I actually try to put mine in alphabetical order in case someone is as sensitive as OP.

 

[Evo Shandor]

I usually send mine alphabetically.

You're thinking about this way too much.

 

[iAmPossum]

I don't even know what to say.